Challenges for Rural Native American Students With Disabilities During COVID-19

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic unexpectedly changed almost all aspects of people’s everyday lives. This included new challenges in the education of Native American students with disabilities who live in rural and remote areas of the United States. Native American students with disabilities living on reservations are served by local schools, tribally controlled schools, and Bureau of Indian Education schools under the provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. In rural reservation communities during COVID-19, special education services for students with disabilities were significantly disrupted. Contributing factors were high rates of poverty, lack of adequate funding and staffing for health care, populations with higher rates of chronic illness, high percentages of homes with no running water or electricity, shortages of certified special educators, and barriers to alternative forms of education due to lack of access to high-speed internet and technology.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Instructional Experiences of Students With Intellectual and Developmental Disability

“…It is widely acknowledged that individuals with IDD were among the most vulnerable to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic across multiple domains of life, including health (Turk et al, 2020), education (Kuhfeld et al, 2022), finances (Running Bear et al, 2021) employment (Schall et al, 2021), and social relationships (Wanjagua et al, 2022). Our purpose was to document how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the instructional experiences of K-12 students with IDD in the United States.…”

“…If our sample reported experiencing significant regression in their children’s skills, and one in five of their children were not receiving any instruction during initial school closures, we may estimate that the true picture is far more dire. That is, respondents without such privileges and resources (and their children) may be more likely to experience acute difficulties accessing instruction and related supports during (COVID-19 Kuhfeld et al, 2022; Running Bear et al, 2021; Wanjagua et al, 2022). More research is needed from the perspectives of families of children with IDD who do not fit the description of these samples.…”

“…More research is needed from the perspectives of families of children with IDD who do not fit the description of these samples. Qualitative or mixed-method studies may provide valuable insight regarding the experiences and needs of families of students with IDD during COVID-19 moving forward, with a specific focus on systemic issues related to these experiences (Running Bear et al, 2021).…”

Self-reported Illness Experiences and Psychosocial Outcomes for Reservation-Area American Indian Youth During COVID-19

“…14 Moreover, school closures may create serious adverse consequences, especially for those attending reservation-area schools, by reducing access to mental and physical health resources. [15][16][17] Additionally, academic engagement may decrease for some students, 18 while for others, engagement may improve with decreased social pressures in the school setting. 19…”

“…While technology may offset impacts of reduced face-to-face contact, youths may experience social isolation owing to physical separation from others . Moreover, school closures may create serious adverse consequences, especially for those attending reservation-area schools, by reducing access to mental and physical health resources . Additionally, academic engagement may decrease for some students, while for others, engagement may improve with decreased social pressures in the school setting …”