Teaching students with learning disabilities in a virtual learning environment

COVID-19 brought unprecedented changes in the education sector at all levels globally. These rapid changes have transformed the way teachers are transacting the curriculum in K-12 classrooms. Teachers have had to adapt and depend on a virtual mode to reach students and facilitate student engagement and subsequent learning. In the absence of professional development support, such overnight changes and giant leaps from traditional face-to-face interaction with students have been extremely challenging for teachers and equally stressful for students and their parents. Many teachers describe their helplessness with growing absenteeism and delayed submission of student assignments. It is even more difficult for students with a learning disability to engage virtually for a longer time in front of a computer screen. They often need intensive, one-on-one support from the parent. This chapter aims to highlight the challenges faced by professionals to teach students with specific learning disabilities effectively in a virtual learning environment and identify effective solutions.