Lessons From the COVID-19 Unplanned Transition to Online Learning at Home for Students With Disability: Socialisation, Technology, Education and Future Research Opportunities

Abstract

Purpose of Review Periods of transition for children and adolescents with disability are complex but usually anticipated. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an unexpected transition to online learning at home for students. This review examines the literature on the transition to online learning at home for students with disabilities in K–12 education during the COVID-19 pandemic and identifies the challenges and perceived benefits that emerged for these students to inform future planned or unplanned transitions to online learning. Recent Findings Thirty-one articles met the inclusion criteria. Overall, the transition to online learning generated significant social and technical challenges for students with disability—ranging from inadequate socialisation and engagement issues to technological barriers. There were also notable benefits. For some students, this included fewer social pressures, improvements in mental health and the development of personal skills such as resilience. Parent and caregiver participation in the online learning tasks was crucial, often leading to deeper insights into the learning preferences and needs of students with disability and the ability to tailor and customise learning activities. The review identifies a need for inclusive research methods that actively involve students with disability in research on their online learning experiences. Furthermore, the predominant focus on boys with disability and the lack of representation of specific types of disability and support needs suggest that in future larger studies should strive for a more diverse and representative sample of the students with disability. Summary Challenges and benefits reveal much about the disruptive impact the COVID-19 online learning transition exacted on some school-aged students with disability and their families. Greater attention to increasing access to technologies required for online learning is needed. The findings of this review can be applied in the adaptation of existing, or implementation of new learning modalities, accommodations and support for students with disability to promote their inclusion and access to education. Future research should explore a more inclusive approach and identify longer-term impacts of online learning on COVID-19 cohorts of students with disability and identify ways that schools can plan for more effective transition to online learning in the event of a future pandemic or other disaster requiring school closures.