Schools must identify students or despite the challenges posed by the covid-19 pandemic, schools must meet their obligations under federal law to identify and care for children with disabilities. The department of education said in the new guidance.

Regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic or the way they are taught, children with disabilities are entitled to free. And appropriate public education, the department of special education. And rehabilitation services wrote in a letter. U.S. Education in state and local education. Managers.

Schools Must Identify Students With Disabilities Despite Pandemic Barriers:

The accompanying guidance document focuses on child find. A section of the federal law on the education of persons with disabilities outlines states’ obligations to identify, identify. And assess all children with disabilities, including those under the age of pupils. And those who do not attend public schools.

Among other things, the guide notes that schools can use federal COVID-19 relief funds provided through our rescue plan to help address outstanding assessments.

Schools may also need to make additional efforts to locate and locate children who are not enrolled in the 2020-2021 school year to ensure that their needs are met.

• The document is the first in a series of question-and-answer documents. That the ministry of education plans to release in special education in the coming weeks, wrote Kathryn NEA, deputy secretary of the office of special education and services.
• Other documents will cover issues such as evaluation, reassessment, compliance deadlines and service delivery, he said.
• Advocates say the pandemic was particularly challenging for students with disabilities. As schools made an effort to provide adequate services and accommodation during distance education.
• They also warned that personal learning disabilities gave teachers, fewer opportunities to identify potential learning disabilities and led to delays in evaluating special education in some areas.

The guidance from the ministry of education recognizes these challenges and urges schools to take action. And personal contact with a teacher or other school staff as children who study with bricks. And full-time mortar schools, The document states. In this case, schools should make sure they rely on the observation of more than. One teacher to identify students who may need services, the guide says.