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Parents concerned about quality of special education if distance learning is required

The state has mandated all schools require continuous learning this fall if buildings need to be temporarily shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

INDIANOLA, Iowa — An Indianola mom said she's worried her son is falling behind in school because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Five-and-a-half-year-old Joseph Carlson will be starting kindergarten this fall.

"The kids that concerned me the most are the kids like my Joseph," Joseph's mom Andrea Carlson said. 

Joseph has a rare eye condition. He also has ADHD, autism and learning delays. 

Carlson said because of that, distance learning hasn't worked out well for him so far. 

"He doesn't sit at a computer," Carlson said. "He runs and he screams and he yells. He doesn't have the ability to function in that capacity to sit in front of a computer and do schoolwork."

In the past, schools could make distance learning voluntary, but now it's required."

Districts are currently planning how to ensure all students have equitable access to education should they need to temporarily shut down because of an outbreak. 

"The thing with special education is, it's very individualized," Indianola Community School District Superintendent Art Sathoff said. "Every student has their plan and I imagine there are going to be a lot of IEP staffings where we're going through and figuring out how are we meeting the students' needs." 

If distance-learning ends up being implemented at some point next year, Carlson said she's concerned for Joseph's education. 

"For him, he needs the constant learning," Carlson said. "He needs that constant. It's taken him three years to learn his letters. It's taken him three years to learn his numbers. I don't have a degree in special education. I don't have the training. I'm his mother and I don't have the training to give him the specialized training he needs on a daily basis."

But Carlson said she's confident the school is working hard to come up with a solution. 

WATCH: Complete "Return to Learn" coverage from Local 5 on YouTube

RELATED: Return to Learn: Find your school district's plan for fall classes

RELATED: Iowa Department of Education doesn't recommend masks, illness screenings for K-12 schools

"There are a lot of differently-abled kids in our district," Carlson said. "[The district] wants to do the right thing, so I am confident that they're going to figure something out. I can't imagine the amount of work that it's taking them to get to that point, but I feel like something they'll figure something out."

Nationwide, schools are navigating how to ensure students with special needs are learning the way their peers are remotely.

Last week, the Iowa Department of Education said they'll release special education guidance in the second week of July. 

Sathoff said his goal is to have students physically present whenever possible in the fall. 

RELATED: 'We are not ready': Parents of special education students feel Iowa isn't doing enough for their kids

Indianola's year-round elementary school is scheduled to start on Aug. 4. The other schools are scheduled to start Aug. 25. 

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