Supporting COVID-19 School Safety for Children With Disabilities and Medical Complexity

Abstract

Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and children with medical complexity (CMC) have been disproportionally impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including school closures. Children with IDD and CMC rely on schools for a vast array of educational, therapeutic, medical, and social needs. However, maintaining safe schools for children with IDD and CMC during the COVID-19 pandemic may be difficult due to the unique challenges of implementing prevention strategies, such as masking, social distancing, and hand hygiene in this high-risk environment. Furthermore, children with IDD and CMC are at a higher risk of infectious complications and mortality, underscoring the need for effective mitigation strategies. The goal of this report is to describe the implementation of several screening testing models for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in this high-risk population. By describing these models, we hope to identify generalizable and scalable approaches to facilitate safe school operations for children with IDD and CMC during the current and future pandemics.

COVID‐19‐Related Facilitators and Barriers to In‐Person Learning for Children With Intellectual and Development Disabilities

“…These factors likely contributed to the strong response by school staff members wanting to provide input on the COVID-19 policies and procedures developed by the school district. 15,26,27…”

“…Furthermore, some staff had underlying conditions putting them at high risk of severe COVID‐19 disease. These factors likely contributed to the strong response by school staff members wanting to provide input on the COVID‐19 policies and procedures developed by the school district 15,26,27 …”

Caregiver perceptions of in-home COVID-19 testing for children with medical complexity: a qualitative study

“…Setting, sample, and design This qualitative study was a subproject of Aim 1 of the NIH Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) research program at the University of Wisconsin [12]. Aim 1 was to evaluate feasibility of in-home DART use among a cohort of family caregivers and their children with medical complexity recruited from the Pediatric Complex Care Program (PCCP).…”

Challenges experienced by U.S. K-12 public schools in serving students with special education needs or underlying health conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic and strategies for improved accessibility

“…For example, children with autism or hearing loss might have difficulty adhering to mask requirements, and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and children with medical complexity are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes. 8 , 9 Special considerations apply to these populations to promote safe inclusion in schools and ensure continuity of education and services. Such considerations emphasize modified strategies to meet the needs of students receiving special education services and protections for students at risk of severe COVID-19 illness or with family members with similar risks.…”