The impact of COVID-19 and lockdown on families of students with special education needs

Sakarneh, M. A.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been one of the most significant events affecting the largest number of countries at the same time around the globe. Governments instituted the closure of schools and lockdown of cities and other areas to prevent the spread of the virus. Students had to learn through online platforms meant to enhance continued learning. The current study aimed to explore the extent to which Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown impact families of students with special education needs. Qualitative approach was used;semi-structured interviews were undertaken using online communication tools via Google Meet platform and for data analysis Atlas.ti program was used for coding and categorizing. The findings revolved around main themes in the study include;behavior problems in the children, psychological distress for the parents, and difficulty of delivering the rigid content and schedules. Implications for school and social support are discussed for policymakers in Jordan. © 2021 Birlesik Dunya Yenilik Arastirma ve Yayincilik Merkezi. All rights reserved.