School and Special Education

COVID-19: RETURN TO SCHOOL RESOURCES 
(Redirect to UW Madison Waisman Center)

Amendment to Order #9 Released-Tuesday, September 1, 2020
The amendment allows for in-person instruction to students with a disability and/or individualized education program.

Dane County schools must start grades 3-12 online this fall, public health officials say from Madison.com

State and National Guidance and Resources

• Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS)
  Guidelines for the Prevention, Investigation, and Control of COVID-19 Outbreaks in K-12 Schools in Wisconsin (8/19/20)
  COVID-19 Decision Tool for Individuals and Families (8/19/20)
• Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (WI DPI)
  Education Forward: Reopening Wisconsin Schools from Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
  COVID-19 Special Education Information (PowerPoint slides) from Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (9/15/20)
  Arts Education School Operating Considerations from Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (9/15/20)
  Supports for Students with Neurodiverse, and Social and Emotional Needs During Covid-19 Resource list (8/20/20)
  DiSH Special Session on COVID-19 and Schools  recording along with a Q and A document (8/20/20)
  Information on COVID-19 From this page you can find information on Special Education and other Instructional Areas
  Education Forward: Operating Schools During a Pandemic (8/19/20)
  Special Education Updates from WI DPI
  Student Services/Prevention and Wellness ADDED recorded webinars–Session 1: When school starts back: Helping students and yourself cope with crisis during a pandemic and Session 2:When school starts back: Supporting grieving students during a pandemic
  COVID-19 Information for School Health Services  School Nurses and other Health Professionals play a CRUCIAL role in keeping our kids safe
• Wisconsin Department of Children and Family Services (DCF) and WI DPI Guidance for Child Care
  COVID-19 Letter to District Administrators:
  New DHS Guidance, DCF Resources, and Digital Equity (8/19/20)  Includes:  DHS Guidance on COVID-19 Outbreaks in Schools and DCF  guidance documents to help child care providers and local educational agencies as families, schools, and child care providers navigate the reopening of school this fall,  (This information can also be found on the DCF website: https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/childcare/families) and Support for digital equity
  4K Outreach-COVID-19: Guidance and Considerations (8/17/20) Includes: This document provides information for school districts offering 4K Outreach during 2020-2021 school year. It provides guiding questions and  examples of outreach efforts that are acceptable during this time of COVID-19. These are offered to support districts in developing outreach activities that best meet the unique needs of their individual districts and communities.
  EARLY LEARNING INFORMATION-COVID-19 (8/24/20) Includes: Link to the running updates for Early Learning information for DPI. The above information is included in this document.
• United States Department of Education and the Office of Special Education Programs
  IDEA Dispute Resolution Q&A during COVID-19 (Part B)
  IDEA Dispute Resolution Q&A during COVID-19 (Part C)
  COVID-19 Monthly Updates (August available 8.27)
  COVID-19 Resources for Supporting Students with Disabilities from the National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI)
  Coronavirus Disease updates from Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  Strategies for Protecting K-12 School Staff from COVID-19 (updated 8.20.20)
  Back to School Planning: Checklists to Guide Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers Includes: Preparing for At-Home Learning and and Preparing for In-Person Classes
  Schools and Childcare Programs​ (updated 8.21.20)
  Includes: Decision-Making Tool for Parents and Caregivers, Checklist for Families; Helping Children Cope; Support for Teens and Young Adults
  Toolkit for K-12 Schools (updated 8.21.20)
              Includes: Preparing for a Safe Return; Cloth Face Coverings; Screening; Considerations for schools (foundational document); Posters and Graphics
• National Association of School Nurses
  NEW videos for Return to School on Wearing Cloth Face Coverings, Washing your Hands, and Staying Home When you are Sick in Spanish and English (9.3.20)
  Return to School Post COVID-19 Closure Considerations for Students with Disabilities and Special Healthcare Needs
• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
  NEW 9.4.20—Caring for Children and Youth With Special Health Care Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  Children and COVID-19: State-level Data Report
  COVID-19 Planning Considerations: Guidance for School Re-entry
  Pediatricians, Educators and Superintendents Urge a Safe Return to School This Fall
  Healthychildren.org Guidance in English
  Healthychildren.org Guidance in Spanish
• Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
  Reunite, Renew and Thrive: SEL Roadmap for Reopening School
• National Education Association
  All Hands on Deck: Initial Guidance Regarding Reopening School Buildings
  Returning Safely to In-Person Instructions: What Educators Need to Know
• Public Health Madison and Dane County
  K-12 School Requirements during COVID-19
• National Down Syndrome Congress
  Back to School or Not? Understanding Your Options Webinar
• Federation for Children with Special Needs
  Fall Schools Reopening
• American Occupational Therapists Association (AOTA)
  Back to School Resources During COVID-19
  Tips for Families: Helping Children and Adolescents Transition Back to School (.pdf)
• National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI)
  Reopening Early Childhood Programs
  Having to Stay at Home
  Children: Stress and Challenging Behavior
• Center on Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
  Returning to School During and After Crisis Practice Guides

• Parents: Supporting Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic Online Modules from Vanderbilt University
• How to Thrive — Not Just Survive — in the Age of the Coronavirus: Focus On 5 Core Principles from Thrive Global
• Q&A: Mental health expert talks emotional well-being, building resiliency for the 2020-21 school year from Community Impact Newsletter
• As schools reopen, addressing COVID-19-related trauma and mental health issues will take more than mental health services from Child Trends
• August Family Engagement from WI FACETS  Articles on Other Health Impairments and Education during COVID-19; At-Home Learning Strategies; Dispute Resolution During the Pandemic and more.
• At-home Learning Resources for the COVID-19 Outbreak from FamilyEducation
• School’s Out: A Parents’ Guide for Meeting the Challenge During the COVID-19 Pandemic from NYU Langone Health
• Preparing to Learn from Home from Victoria State Government (Australia)
• ‘This is hell’: Parents and kids hate online learning, but they could face more of it from USA Today
• “When Should My Child Go Back to School?” is the topic discussed by a school nurse and a child neurologist in an educational series sponsored by the Child Neurology Foundation and the American Academy of Pediatrics
• Parent Webinar Series including Preparing Yourself, Your Family and Your Home for Online Learning; The ABC’s of K-12 Online Learning for Students with Disabilities; Practical Tips and Tools for Online Learning from National Down Syndrome Congress
• Florida Back-to-School Checklist (English) from Florida AAP
• Florida Back-to-School Checklist (Spanish) from Florida AAP
• A LOT of resources to help support students with ASD learning from home
  https://sites.google.com/view/studentswithasdathome/home
• Working and Learning from Home from the American Academy of Pediatricians
• Balancing Complex Care Giving and Educating Children from Complex Child
• Online Teaching Resources for Children and Families from Wide Open School (you can select that you are a family and find resources in a number of categories including Special Needs)
• Tips for Families in Supporting Their Children with Disabilities in Virtual Formats (English and Spanish) from the Florida Inclusion Network
• COVID-19 page which includes Educational Resources for teaching at home from the National Down Syndrome Society
• Cloth Face Coverings in School: What Families Need to Know from WI DHS
• Special Education and IEPs (Live June 3, 2020) Recording available on YouTube
• Anxiety: Ideas to help our kids be calm(er) and (more) focused (Live May 20, 2020). Recording available on YouTube
• What we can learn from a virtual school (Live May 13, 2020). Recording available on YouTube
• Learning from home and Neurodiversity (Live May 6. 2020). Recording available on YouTube
• Handout on Anxiety and Autism–helpful tips from Martha Walter who presented at the CoP ASD/DD in March. (I think some of us might be experiencing some anxiety recently).  Presentations from the CoP ASD/DD Anxiety and Autism gathering are available

If you have questions about your child’s school services or special education; call 800-532-3321, email cyshcn@waisman.wisc.edu or contact one of these organizations for more information:

• CESAs (Cooperative Educational Service Agencies) serve educational needs in all areas of Wisconsin by serving as a link between child’s school districts and between school districts and the state. CESAs provide education and training for parents and professionals related to educational needs and advocacy within the education evnironment.  They may also facilitate communication and cooperation among all public and private schools, agencies, and organizations that provide services to students in the state.
• WI FACETS (Family Assistance Center for Education, Transition, & Support) helps parents build partnership through information and training with professionals who provide educational services to their child.
• WSPEI (Wisconsin Statewide Parent-Educator Initiative) Creates partnership between parents and educators for students with disabilities.
• WSEMS (Wisconsin Special Education Mediation System) provides mediators free-of-charge to help parents and school districts to resolve disputes regarding special education.
• Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is a state agency that advances public education in Wisconsin.

For more information about what you can expect after your child leaves the education system, please visit the Transitions page.