WAUKEE, Iowa — Parents have had to make some tough decisions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic when it comes to their child's education and what is best for them.
Students with special needs have a whole other layer of issues for parents to consider.
It hasn't been easy for Amber and Tyler Robinson, or their son Pierce.
"Perfectly Pierce" has Down syndrome, so he needs special attention when it comes to his education. The attention that his parents said is critical for him to learn.
"I think COVID was so new we didn't know how kiddos with Down syndrome would react if they get COVID," Amber told Local 5's Sabrina Ahmed.
So Pierce spent the first semester of the pandemic learning online through the Waukee Community School District.
"The Waukee school district does a great job at being there with them on the screen," Amber said, "but the help right next to him is huge for us."
Learning online brought its own set of challenges.
"It's hard finding care or help so we went through actually two or three teachers at home teachers and I just don't think it's fair for Pierce to have to go through all these teachers, get used to somebody else's learning and stuff like that," Amber said.
Then, the whole family got sick with COVID-19 at the end of 2020.
Fortunately, Pierce didn't show any symptoms of being sick, which changed his parents' perspective on heading back to the classroom.
"It's always nerve-racking, you know, not knowing how they... how everything is going to pan out," Tyler said. "You know, but I guess we were a lot more comfortable having already had dealt with it and kind of knowing how we reacted."
Pierce has been back in the classroom for a few weeks now, and his parents noticed a change almost immediately.
"He's so much more focused because online he did great for a while," Amber said, "but he would lay his head down on the desk, not really be interested. Just looked around. He was just bored."
Now, Pierce is moving from room to room with the one-on-one attention he needs.
"He can be around peers and he learns most from them," Amber said. "[He's] using his words a lot more and just seems happy to be there more than online."
Being back to school isn't without its obstacles— he's already had to quarantine.
But that's easier now that they know what to expect with virtual learning.
Even though Pierce isn't always the most excited about heading out the door. his parents know that his time in-person is what's best for him.
On Friday, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill that orders school districts to provide 100% in-person learning as an option through the pandemic. It is set to go into effect on Feb. 15.