School Closures Make It Harder For Students With Disabilities To Learn Social Skills

For many of students with disabilities, socialization can be so important it shows up in their individualized education programs. Those are legally binding documents between schools and parents that guide students’ services and progress.

By Laura IsenseeApril 10, 2020 8:41 amCoronavirus, Education, Health & Science, Houston Public Media, Partner Organizations, Texas Newsroom

Courtesy Erin Rodriguez

Erin Rodriguez said her son Ricky, 10, misses his friends and Scrabble competitions. She says the coronavirus outbreak been isolating for her three sons, who have autism and find a lot of social connections in school.

From Houston Public Media:

At Pin Oak Middle School, Elise Friou gets intensive reading instruction. She’s 13 years old, in sixth grade and has Down syndrome. While her mom Jane Friou says she’s made a lot of progress, Elise still reads somewhere on a second-grade level.

Keeping up with reading isn’t what worries her mom the most, though, with school closed. She’s more concerned about Elise keeping in touch with other kids.

“People give her energy, and just saying hi to people in the hallway and eating lunch with friends is as important to her as learning is to me,” Friou said.

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