[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-586542-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-586542-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","evidence-based-and-promising-practices-to-support-continuity-of-learning-for-students-with-disabilities-practices-and-resources-to-support-teachers","Evidence-Based and Promising Practices to Support Continuity of Learning for Students With Disabilities - Practices and Resources to Support Teachers","","Evidence-based and promising practices support continuity of learning for students with disabilities during school building closures, with special attention to challenges created by COVID-19-related virtual instruction. It reviews existing adoption of online and blended learning, notes limited empirical research on effectiveness for students with disabilities, and highlights gaps in state policy regarding FAPE and accessibility, including IEP guidance. The brief then outlines educator focus areas, emphasizing accessibility barriers and instructional modality considerations to improve equitable participation.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/evidence-based-and-promising-practices-to-support-continuity-of-learning-for-students-with-disabilities-practices-and-resources-to-support-teachers/586542/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/evidence-based-and-promising-practices-to-support-continuity-of-learning-for-students-with-disabilities-practices-and-resources-to-support-teachers/586542.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Angel","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-13","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",10,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"Why is continuity of learning especially challenging for students with disabilities during closures?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"School building closures shift instruction to virtual learning and distance models. Educators must provide supports while students with disabilities may face barriers in accessing and using online materials.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What does the brief say about the evidence base for online learning for students with disabilities?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Research has not kept pace with rapid changes in technology. A systematic review found only a small number of empirical studies, and challenges in data collection and review limit conclusions about efficacy.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"How should educators approach accessibility when planning virtual instruction?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Educators should consider technology access and use barriers, including language, memory, and problem-solving challenges. Accessibility includes guidance on how and when students should use specific programs or internet tools for instruction and assignments.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},586542,1792191305,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,101,106,111,115,120,123,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":97,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":102,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":103,"show_sort_weight":104,"slug":105},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":107,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":108,"show_sort_weight":109,"slug":110},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":112,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},8,30,"research-report",{"id":116,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":117,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":119},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":118,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":121,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":122},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":55,"slug":125},"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":131},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":112,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145,"preview_page_count":4},687207412472,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d","| \u003Cbr>TOPICAL ISSUE BRIEF |  |\n| --- | --- |\n|  | Evidence-Based and Promising Practices to Support Continuity of Learning for Students With Disabilities\u003Cbr>Practices and Resources to Support Teachers |\n\nOverview  \nBecause of the COVID-19 pandemic, as of this writing, 21 states and three U.S. territories have ordered or recommended school building closures for the rest of the academic year, with closures impacting at least 124,000 U.S. public and private schools and affecting at least 55.1 million students. 1 In addition, districts in nearly all other states and territories have implemented extended closures with pending dates for reopening. This situation presents challenges for all teachers, particularly for teachers of students with disabilities who often must take on a significant role in supporting their students in virtual learning and distance instruction. This brief presents practices and resources that educators of children and youth with disabilities can use to support students’ continuity of learning during school building closures.  \nLeveraging online, distance, and/or virtual instruction a is not new in public education. All 50 states and the District of Columbia offer some form of online and/or blended learning and have since 2011.2 Thirty-two states and the District of Columbia offer fully online schools.3 It is estimated that 310,000 students across the country are enrolled in statewide online schools—accounting for 2% of the student population nationwide.4 As of 2009, 12 states served students with disabilities (SWDs) in virtual public schools.5 Currently , virtual schools likely serve a higher proportion of SWDs than the national average, b while culturally and/or linguistically diverse students are underrepresented.6 Based on past research and reports, virtual schools are more likely to enroll students with mild disabilities than students with more severe or profound needs.7 In some virtual school models, the continuum of placements is limited to either an inclusive, general education setting or a self-contained, non–diploma-granting setting.8  \nBecause technology is changing and evolving rapidly , research on online learning struggles to keep pace. A systematic review of the literature conducted in 2012 identified only six empirical studies investigating online learning with SWDs ,9 but no recent systematic reviews could be located. c Additionally, challenges related to data collection and independent reviews are noted—especially around efficacy of materials, activities, or delivery programs—because of the competitive nature of the industry.10 The limited empirical evidence is confounded by state policies that often do not explicitly define who is responsible for“ensuring special education services [or Free Appropriate Public Education; FAPE] are provided in online settings” (p. 3311) . Furthermore, an examination of state policy shows that at least 50% of all states and territories did not provide clear policy guidance related to FAPE in online settings and ensuring accessibility for students with disabilities. Fewer than 25% of states offer any sort of guidance related to individualized education program (IEP) development or implementation in online education. 12 The lack of research and policy may inadvertently result in instruction that is not specially designed to address the unique needs of SWDs.  \na Online learning is defined as “education in which instruction, content, and learning are mediated primarily by network technologies such as the Internet”(p.1010) . Online learning may encompass full-time virtual learning or blended learning; this brief focuses  \nspeb Mcaifnicyallyschoonolsvuearel eleaxrclnuigedonfrrmartheeprortthiangndbuleentlorachkyobfrditma,oeolsthiosf opnrolpineortiinosntrucmatyioe. overestimated.  \nc One dissertation study,8 which included a literature review, was located (see [https://scholarworks.uno.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3610&context=td](https://scholarworks.uno.edu/cgi/v","cbCaiarpa1EwpbZ4","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiarpa1EwpbZ4","pdf",498148,26,"English","# Overview\n## Need for Evidence-Based and Promising Practices\n## Accessibility","[{\"question\":\"Why is continuity of learning especially challenging for students with disabilities during closures?\",\"answer\":\"School building closures shift instruction to virtual learning and distance models. Educators must provide supports while students with disabilities may face barriers in accessing and using online materials.\"},{\"question\":\"What does the brief say about the evidence base for online learning for students with disabilities?\",\"answer\":\"Research has not kept pace with rapid changes in technology. A systematic review found only a small number of empirical studies, and challenges in data collection and review limit conclusions about efficacy.\"},{\"question\":\"How should educators approach accessibility when planning virtual instruction?\",\"answer\":\"Educators should consider technology access and use barriers, including language, memory, and problem-solving challenges. Accessibility includes guidance on how and when students should use specific programs or internet tools for instruction and assignments.\"}]","Evidence-Based and Promising Practices to Support Continuity of Learning for Students With Disabilities - Practices and Resources to Support Teachers | PDF",1792058286,66]