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TIPS

TIPS FOR SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES WITH ONLINE EDUCATION TIP 1 If you have a child with a learning disability that is experiencing "Zoom Fatigue" during distance learning, here are some tips to support your child: Try to look out for when the child is focusing by periodically checking in with the child. Give encouragement, praise and none verbal support, such as, a smile when you notice your child is focusing. If you are unable to monitor your child during the day, ask the teacher to report back to you when your child has a good day with focus, so you can praise your child at a later time.
TIPS FOR SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES WITH ONLINE EDUCATION TIP 2 If a child with a developmental disability is struggling with constant eye contact during online classes, here are some tips to support your child: Observe how long your child can stay focus and provide this feedback to the teacher. If your child is not able to focus for the required length of time, you should advocate for "asynchronous" learning time. This is where the child is given modified work to be done with a parent offline, then the parent reports back to the teacher for feedback.
TIPS FOR SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES WITH ONLINE EDUCATION TIP 3 Parents can allow the child to move about or give frequent breaks to help the child focus better. If your child is comfortable using a Bluetooth headset, you can allow the child to listen while moving about. You can also allow your child to turn off the video to take a refocusing break, but make sure to communicate with the teacher about accessing this break.
TIPS FOR SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES WITH ONLINE EDUCATION TIP 4 Because distance learning is quite new to children with disabilities, parents should provide additional support to their children by reinforcing the lesson content through activities and hands-on experiences at home. Children with disabilities will benefit from making these connections.
TIPS FOR SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES WITH ONLINE EDUCATION Tip 5 If your child is low vision and is participating in distance or online learning, teach your child how to change the settings to speaker view rather than gallery view. This option can be found at the top right of the Zoom window. Then click on full screen to ensure your child can see the teacher. If your child is able to read the information on the screen, you can also teach your child to use the side by side option, so that, the child can see the teacher and the teacher's notes at the same time. Teachers on the other hand, should ensure that wherever they are sitting to conduct online class sessions, be sure that the light source is not behind you. For example, do not sit with the window behind you, the students will not be able to see you clearly.
TIPS FOR SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES WITH ONLINE EDUCATION TIP 6 To support children with sensory needs, parents can allow the children to lie on a couch or a yoga ball, hold a pillow or sit on the floor. It could provide additional comfort to your child while learning. Remember it is not necessary for your child to sit at a table to learn.
TIPS FOR SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES WITH ONLINE EDUCATION TIP 7. Giving your child recess is extremely important, even though it may look a little awkward at home. It is a good idea to use a timer to indicate the end of recess. Some children may need a visual timer, so you can download one from online.
TIPS FOR SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES WITH ONLINE EDUCATION TIP 8 Children with hearing loss have a harder time understanding speech in a noisy environment. This can lead to difficulties with attention, listening fatigue or behavioural issues. Here are some tips to ensure that parents reduce background noise while the child is participating in distance learning: Close doors and windows and turn off noisy appliances, such as, washing machines, televisions, etc. You can also use listening assistive technology, such as, the Roger technology. It helps reduce background noise while amplifying the teacher's voice.