Special education amid pandemic poses challenges for Metro Atlanta schools

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Special education amid pandemic poses challenges for Metro Atlanta schools

Evan Woody, 21, rests on his bed at home in Dunwoody on Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020. Evan is mentally and physically disabled as a result of a traumatic brain injury that occurred when he was a toddler. (Casey Sykes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

According to his parents, Phil and Lisa Woody, Evan has the mental equivalency of a three-year-old and is nonverbal. His parents perform his tasks of everyday life, from showering to dressing. (Casey Sykes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

And this year, they took an even more active role with Evan’s education since DeKalb schools have been all virtual. The format has presented challenges for students of all kinds, but particularly those with special needs. (Casey Sykes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Since the start of the pandemic, Evan has undergone virtual learning in school, which his parents say is ineffective. The Woodys say that Evan's hours of instruction have decreased from about 35 hours per week for normal in-person school to about 6.5 hours per week for virtual school, only 2 of which are one-on-one. (Casey Sykes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Evan requires constant attention and supervision, which has been difficult for Phil and Lisa, who are both working full-time from home. They have estimated that they will need to save $2.8 million in order to provide for Evan throughout his life. While Evan has been approved for a Medicaid program (NOW/COMP Waiver), his parents say the program has never been fully funded by the state of Georgia, and Evan, with thousands of other disabled Georgians, will remain on the waitlist indefinitely. (Casey Sykes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Evan becomes easily distracted with online learning, his parents say. He developed a habit of grunting and waving his arms in apparent frustration as he attends virtual classes at Dunwoody High School. Philip Woody said Evan’s needs can’t be met with online learning only. (Casey Sykes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Evan hugs his brother-in-law, George Brammeier, 25, while playing basketball. “Everybody needs socialization, typical kids as well, but with this [special needs] community that’s how they learn social skills,” Evan's father, Philip, says. (Casey Sykes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

DeKalb superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris said serving special needs students is “one of the impetus for us evolving our plan and trying to get our students back to a face-to-face environment. We have some vulnerable students who need the opportunity to be supported with in-person learning." (Casey Sykes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Watson-Harris said she was “encouraged” by the creativity of DeKalb’s special education teachers who have used technology to try to mitigate as much as possible “any loss of progress for those students. But we also recognize for many of them that a return to face-to-face will allow us to meet their needs in an even deeper and more meaningful way.” (Casey Sykes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Being with others in the school environment is critical for the development of special needs students like Evan, according to his mother. “That’s how they learn everything,” Lisa Woody says. (Casey Sykes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

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Credit: Casey Sykes

Evan Woody, 21, rests on his bed at home in Dunwoody on Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020. Evan is mentally and physically disabled as a result of a traumatic brain injury that occurred when he was a toddler. (Casey Sykes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

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