Organization of an Inclusive Educational Environment for the Students with Special Needs

The article analyzes the communicative activity of those students who have difficulties in mental development, as a condition for organizing an educational environment for children with special needs. It was concluded that the inability to communicate with school peers, teachers, and adults affects the organization of an inclusive educational environment (hereinafter - IES) for children with special educational needs (hereinafter - SEN). An example of creating an IES in an elementary school is offered. Specific difficulties that hinder the development of communication (communicative skills) among children aged 7 - 10 with limited health opportunities have been identified. The importance of game activities in the process of organizing an educational space for children with special needs is emphasized. An original author's method of formation of communication skills of students with SEN is proposed, which was based on the key provisions of the pedagogical system of the Italian scientist, doctor, teacher, civic activist, and organizer of educational institutions around the world M. Montessori. Creating an inclusive educational space for children with special needs, we programmed situations where students would develop self-care skills (dressing and undressing, changing shoes, cleaning, dusting, sweeping, taking care of flower pots, taking care of flower beds). Educational materials developed by M. Montessori were shown to the children. The teaching methods proposed by the scientist were also updated. The author's method of formation of communicative skills of students with SEN provided for various forms and methods of learning, both traditional and innovative (project activity, competitions, dramatization, discussion, public performances, didactic games, etc.). The peculiarities of the functioning of the IOP under the conditions of distance learning caused by the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic are characterized. It is emphasized the importance of organizing the game activities of students with SEN as one of the conditions for the successful functioning of IES in the school. The risks posed by online education for children with SEN are highlighted. It was concluded that the process of forming communication skills in students with SEN under the conditions of quarantine restrictions and online learning will become more effective if group work is established (if possible) in the learning process in the classroom and proper pedagogical assistance is provided to the student with SEN at home.

Social Intelligence as a Factor of Socio- Psychological Adaptation of University Students with Special Educational Needs during Distance Learning due to the COVID-19

The article is devoted to the research of social intelligence as a factor of socio-psychological adaptation of university students with special educational needs during distance learning. Study methods of social intelligence and socio-psychological adaptation are used. The respondents' contingent of consisted of 78 students with special educational needs. The average level of social intelligence was empirically established in part students, which testifies to their ability to understand properly and the ability to behavior in almost half of life situations. Almost a quarter of students have a higher than average level of social intelligence and the same part is lower than average, which confirms their ability to understand and predict other people's behavior in almost three quarters and one quarter of life situations, respectively. Students do not have high and low levels of social intelligence. Most students (almost two-thirds) have an average level of adaptability and mal-adaptability;instead, a minority (almost one third) is at a high level. Adaptability and mal-adaptability, respectively, indicate consistency and inconsistency between the needs of the individual and the requirements of the social environment. Students with a low level of adaptability and mal-adaptability were not found. The defined statistically significant relationship of social intelligence with adaptability (direct) and maladaptive (reverse) shows the influence of social intelligence on the effectiveness of socio-psychological adaptation of students. The results of the research proved that social intelligence is a factor of socio-psychological adaptation of students with special educational needs during distance learning.

Education of Students with Special Educational Needs in Pandemic. Mothers and fathers' perspectives / Educación de alumnos con necesidades educativas especiales en pandemia. Perspectivas de las madres y padres

Resumen Objetivo: identificar cuáles fueron, desde el punto de vista de las madres y padres, las condiciones de estudio, los aprendizajes y las reacciones emocionales antes y durante la pandemia de sus hijas/os con necesidades educativas especiales, además de conocer algunas condiciones emocionales de ellas/os mismas/os. Método: Se realizó un estudio exploratorio, en el cual se aplicaron cuestionarios digitales a madres y padres de alumnas/os con y sin necesidades educativas especiales, seleccionados mediante un muestreo no probabilístico, intencional. Participaron 2.634 madres y padres (entre 35 y 38 años de edad en promedio, 90 % mujeres). Resultados: Se encontró que los alumnos estudiaron en condiciones precarias, y se vieron afectados seriamente en sus aprendizajes y mostraron reacciones emocionales negativas durante la pandemia. Los alumnos con necesidades educativas especiales resultaron muy afectados, pero no mucho más que los alumnos sin estas necesidades, lo cual probablemente se debió al trabajo de las USAER. Las madres y padres, particularmente de los alumnos con NEE, presentaron cansancio y frustración. Conclusiones: Se concluye que el confinamiento produjo serias afectaciones en todos los estudiantes, incluyendo a quienes presentan necesidades educativas especiales, pero estos no resultaron mucho más afectados gracias al apoyo brindado por las USAER. Discusión: Estos resultados obligan a tomar medidas emergentes durante el regreso a clases presenciales para compensar las pérdidas de aprendizaje.

Abstract Objective: To identify what were, from the point of view of mothers and fathers, the study conditions, learning and emotional reactions before and during the pandemic of their children with special educational needs, in addition to knowing the emotional conditions of themselves. Method: An exploratory study was carried out, in which digital questionnaires were administered to mothers and fathers of students with and without special educational needs (SEN), selected through a non-probabilistic, intentional sample. Participants included 2,634 mothers and fathers (between 35 and 38 years old on average, 90 % women). Results: The learners studied in precarious conditions, were seriously affected in their academic learning and showed negative emotional reactions during the pandemic. Students with special educational needs were also greatly affected, but not much more so than students without these needs, which was probably due to the work of the USAER. The mothers and fathers, particularly of the students with SEN, presented fatigue and frustration. Conclusions: The lockdown produced serious effects on the learning of all students, including those with special educational needs, who, nevertheless, were not as affected due to the support provided by USAER. Discussion: These results point out to the need to adopt emerging measures during the return to face-to-face classes to compensate for the loss of learning.

Brief Report: The Impact of COVID-19 on Parental Stress and Learning Challenges for Chinese Children with SpLD.

The pandemic induced a radical shift to online learning with increased parental involvement. This study investigates the challenges that students with specific learning difficulties (SpLD) encountered during the pandemic and the mediating role of parental stress. A total of 294 parents of children with SpLD (mean age = 10.6; SD = 1.5) were recruited. Parents reported concerns over their children's difficulties maintaining learning routines, lack of suitable environment for online classes, and ineffective remote learning. Results of mediation analysis showed that online learning challenges, SpLD symptoms, and emotional and behavioral difficulties positively predicted parental stress. In turn, parental stress negatively predicted children's self-esteem and family quality of life. The study implies that parents of children with SpLD need both psychological and technical support under suspension of face-to-face teaching.

Speak out, stay safe: Including children with special educational needs and disabilities in an evaluation of an abuse prevention programme

This paper reports on the evaluation of an integrated violence and abuse prevention programme for children aged 5–11, focusing on children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The Speak Out Stay Safe (SOSS) programme was delivered in mainstream primary schools across the UK. A small-scale study of children with SEND nested within the larger evaluation captured their understandings of abuse and harm and readiness to seek help. A specially adapted survey was completed by 76 children with SEND (aged 6–7 and 9–10) at baseline (31 intervention;45 comparison schools), 12 in intervention schools post-programme and 37 (four intervention;33 comparison schools) six months post-baseline. Qualitative data was captured through 16 teacher interviews. Whilst this nested study was compromised by the COVID-19 pandemic, it provides important evidence that with appropriate adaptations, a survey approach to investigating the learning of children with SEND can be effective. Findings indicate that awareness of abuse and help seeking strategies may improve over time, whilst interview data suggests that adapting the programme to be inclusive of those children may have a better effect. However, a much larger sample of children with SEND is required to confidently measure the effects of such programmes for this population. © 2023 The Authors. Child Abuse Review published by Association of Child Protection Professionals and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Experiences of gifted students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey

COVID-19 began to spread all over the world in the Spring of 2020. All schools, including the institutions serving students with special needs, were closed to decrease the spread of the virus. The schools had to shift to online education, which was a new experience for most students. In addition to the negative effects of the pandemic itself, the new learning format required extra effort from students. Gifted and talented students as a special group with special educational and socio-emotional needs may have experienced the pandemic differently. In the present study, we aimed to explore gifted and talented students' subjective well-being, feelings of hope, and stress coping strategies with a quantitative method. In addition, we used a qualitative method and asked a few open-ended questions to dig deeper into these students' experiences during the pandemic. We found a statistically significant correlation among subjective well-being, hope, and stress coping strategies. Effective stress coping strategies are used more frequently than negative ones. We revealed that although there are some positive sides to the process, the students described some difficulties with social interaction, access and use of technology, motivation, and physical health. Based on the findings, we suggested some important implications and recommendations for parents, educators, and policymakers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

COVID-19 and remote learning: experiences of parents supporting children with special needs and disability during the pandemic

The closure of school buildings due to COVID-19 created a challenge for parents and teachers supporting children's remote learning. This paper presents findings of a study that explored whether parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) experienced an unusually challenging period and what obstacles they faced. An online survey was sent to parents during the first (March–June 2020) and second (January–March 2021) lockdowns in England: a total of 141 voluntary participants responded. Thematic data analysis identified three significant themes: Infrastructure (Quality and efficacy of resources;Access to school's virtual learning environment);Impact on parent (Perceived lack of ability or understanding;Relationships;Time;Mental health);Impact on child (Reduced stress and anxiety;Need for routine). Recommendations for schools include collaborating with parents to ensure children with SEND achieve greater equality and inclusivity in educational provision, by developing blended models for in-school and remote learning.

Using speech-to-text technology to empower young writers with special educational needs.

This article reports the first group-based intervention study in the UK of using speech to-text (STT) technology to improve the writing of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Over a period of five years, thirty children took part in total from three settings; a mainstream school, a special school and a special unit of a different mainstream school. All children had Education, Health and Care Plans because of their difficulties in spoken and written communication. Children were trained to use the Dragon STT system, and used it on set tasks for 16-18 weeks. Handwritten text and self-esteem were assessed before and after the intervention, and screen-written text at the end. The results showed that this approach had boosted the quantity and quality of handwritten text, with post-test screen-written text significantly better than handwritten at post-test. The self-esteem instrument also showed positive and statistically significant results. The findings support the feasibility of using STT to support children with writing difficulties. All the data were gathered before the Covid-19 pandemic; the implications of this, and of the innovative research design, are discussed.

Parental perspectives of home-schooling of children with special educational needs and disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic: a review.

The purpose of this paper is to review recent literature on parental perspectives of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the home-schooling of children with special educational needs and disabilities, as well as to consider implications for their education and well-being. Eleven papers were reviewed, published between 2020 and 2021, selected according to a systematic protocol from three widely used online databases. Analysis of the reviewed papers found that transitioning to home-schooling during the pandemic had negative consequences for most of the children, as well as for their parents, though a small but significant number reported positive consequences. Three key areas of concern were identified in the analysis: balancing home-schooling with parent work activities; parent relationships with schools and support services and agencies and home-schooling effects on the well-being and mental health of parents and children.

Assessing the learning of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities in mainstream school physical education

In the UK, one consequence of neoliberalism has been the development of test cultures in schools and standardised assessment strategies used to judge all pupils against within and across curriculum subjects. Few studies to date have explored the influence of this on assessing the learning of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and none have centred physical education (PE). This study used the concept of ableism and semi‐structured interviews to explore mainstream secondary school PE teachers' views and experiences of assessing the learning of pupils with SEND. Based on the findings, we discuss the importance of schools disrupting hegemonic, ableist modes of thinking that cast pupils with SEND as being of inferior ability when compared with their peers and thus being disadvantaged by standardised, normative assessment practices. Specifically, we identify a need for senior leaders and teachers in schools to recognise the needs and capabilities of pupils with SEND, through more holistic assessment approaches that focus on social, affective, cognitive and physical learning and development. We end by discussing the significance of initial teacher education and teacher networks to support this endeavour and advocating for the amplification of the voices of pupils with SEND, given that they have expert knowledge about the perceived inclusivity of assessment in PE because they can draw upon their lived and embodied experiences. [ FROM AUTHOR]

A longitudinal study of the mental health of autistic children and adolescents and their parents during COVID-19: Part 1, quantitative findings.

LAY ABSTRACT: Autistic children and adolescents, and their parents/carers, tend to experience more symptoms of anxiety and depression compared to those with other special educational needs and disabilities. The rapid change in society as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have disproportionately affected autistic young people and their parents/carers. We investigated how the mental health of autistic young people, and their parents/carers, developed during the first lockdown in the United Kingdom and how it changed once schools fully reopened for face-to-face teaching approximately 6 months later. Parents/carers completed online standardised questionnaires about their own and their child's mental health at four time points between March 2020 and October 2020. We found that, throughout this period, autistic young people experienced more symptoms of anxiety and depression compared to those with other special educational needs and disabilities. Anxiety levels decreased as lockdown progressed and schools reopened for face-to-face teaching but only for those with other special educational needs and disabilities. For autistic young people, both anxiety and depression symptoms remained high throughout. There were no differences in the mental health of parents/carers of autistic children compared to those with other special educational needs and disabilities. These findings suggest that the mental health of autistic children and adolescents is likely to have been disproportionately affected during and after the first lockdown in the United Kingdom. In the second part of this article (Asbury & Toseeb, 2022), we attempt to explain these trends using qualitative data provided by parents during the same period.

A longitudinal study of the mental health of autistic children and adolescents and their parents during COVID-19: Part 2, qualitative findings.

LAY ABSTRACT: We know that autistic children and young people, and their caregivers, are at increased risk of mental ill health. We asked whether the first 6 months of COVID-19 exacerbated that risk, and whether the implications were different for autistic pupils and their caregivers, than for those with other special educational needs and difficulties. In a linked paper, we found that caregivers of autistic pupils reported higher levels of depression and anxiety symptoms in their children than parents of children with other special educational needs and difficulties (Toseeb & Asbury, 2022). For pupils with other special educational needs and difficulties, their parent-reported anxiety symptoms eased over time while remaining high throughout for autistic pupils. There were no differences in mental health and wellbeing between caregivers of autistic pupils and those with other special educational needs and difficulties. Here, we used parents' written descriptions of their own and their child's mental health during the first 6 months of COVID-19 to explore these linked findings in greater depth. We identified strong evidence of worry and distress for all, but most prominently autistic children and young people. Our finding that worry and distress declined over time for pupils with other special educational needs and difficulties, but not for autistic pupils, was supported and we observed a few differences between caregivers. We also found evidence of wellbeing throughout the sample, and examples of some (mainly autistic) pupils benefitting from a reduction in demands (e.g. going to school). This has implications for our understanding of the school experience for autistic pupils. Findings suggest that the mental health of autistic children and young people may have been disproportionately affected during the first 6 months of COVID-19 and that careful consideration of optimal support, from both health and education perspectives, is vital.

‘We have to carry on'. A participatory research project with young people enrolled on a supported internship programme during the Covid-19 pandemic

Aim(s): This participatory research project gathered the views of young people (YP) with an education, health and care plan (EHCP), enrolled in a supported internship programme (SIP) at a further education (FE) college. Rationale: There is little published researched exploring the experience of FE for YP with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Furthermore, this group have had minimal opportunities to shape the research agenda through participatory involvement. Methods: A participatory design involved four YP with SEND enrolled in a SIP, who acted as co-researchers and participants. Data gathering, chosen by co-researchers, comprised of photo-voice and interview techniques. The primary researcher assisted the co-researchers via facilitating sessions and analysing data using inductive thematic analysis. Findings: Developing friendships, independence, work skills and travel skills were valued by co-researchers, although opportunities were limited by the Covid-19 lockdown. Co-researchers indicated specific inequalities and were critical of national policy. Implications: SIPs are a positive experience for YP with SEND, widening opportunities for independence and social connections. Lockdown had a negative impact by limiting such opportunities. Limitations: This project draws on the views of a small sample of YP. Conducting the project remotely posed limitations on supporting YP with communication difficulties. Time limitations hampered opportunities to support co-researchers to develop their ideas for projects and to collaborate extensively in data analysis or discussion of the findings. Conclusions: Involving YP with SEND in the design of research enhances opportunities for YP to share views on what really matters to them and shape regular and policy planning. © 2022, British Psychological Society. All rights reserved.

Self-Efficacy and Demographics of Greek Families with and without Members with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic engendered a new reality and considerable changes, with multiple psychological consequences for individuals and families. The COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent containment are unprecedented global stressors. Research suggests that self-efficacy is one of the key resources for managing stressful events and reducing the associated risks. Self-efficacy is a general concept referring to the extent to which people believe they have the competency to cope adequately with stressful life demands or challenges. Objectives: This study aims to explore self-efficacy and its association with demographic characteristics in Greek families of university students with or without members with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece. Methods: The study population consisted of 411 participants, 130(31.6%)men and 281 (68.4%) women, of which the 217 (52.8%) were parents and the 194 were children (university students) in the 3rd and 4th years of their studies and the 217 were parents. The age of participants ranged from 20 to 60 years. A self-report questionnaire and the Self-efficacy Scale (GSE) were used for data collection.Results: According to the findings, participants (total sample) showed a high degree of self-efficacy during the COVID-19 pandemic and specific demographic characteristics seemed to have a significant association with self-efficacy. On one hand, there were associations between self-efficacy and a) sex, b) the family type, and d) the employment status. In particular, a higher degree of self-efficacy was shown in males, the nuclear and the extended families, the participants with no employment, and the individuals who worked from home. On the other hand, self-efficacy was not statistically significant concerning the family role (parent or child), the level of education, the existence or non-existence of one or more members with SEND in the family, and the marital status. Conclusion: The study’s main conclusion was that university students’ families with or without members with SEND activated selfefficacy as a mechanism for preserving their balance during the COVID- 19 pandemic and that specific individual and family demographic characteristics affect the degree of self-efficacy. © 2022 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

An analysis of students’ projects concerning didactic work with learners with Special Educational Needs in a traditional inclusive classroom and in a digital environment – responding to the times of the Covid-19 pandemic

The 2020/21 academic year proved to be unprecedented in many ways for students and lecturers alike. The need to move from traditional education to a virtual classroom during the Covid-19 pandemic became a stimulus to seek new ways to work and expand knowledge. The aim of this paper is to present the outcome of project work completed by university students of a teaching specialization, which included ways of teaching and ICT tools suitable for working with learners with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in a traditional classroom and in a digital environment. With the increase in remote learning, the challenge of meeting the needs of learners with SEN is considerable. Therefore, inclusive classrooms should be designed with remote learning in mind, so that the teachers are ready to substitute or enrich traditional resources with educational technologies. With the right solutions, teachers can innovate and redefine their classrooms, remodelling them into a mix of face-to face and online delivery. However, different categories of SEN require different solutions. The analysis of the projects confirms that when students are involved in problem-solving and focusing on solutions, they learn more about how to contribute to effective learning in a meaningful way. © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.

Foreign language trainee teachers’ concerns and preparedness to implement inclusive instructional practices with learners with special educational needs: training induced changes

The study was conducted in a group of second year university students – pre-service teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL). The aim of the study was to investigate how the trainee teachers’ participation in a compulsory SEN-dedicated course delivered online impacted their self-reported concerns and preparedness to implement inclusive teaching practices with foreign language (FL) learners with special educational needs (SEN). A semester-long course was designed and conducted as part of emergency remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data was collected online via before and after course questionnaires. Principal component analysis of the preparedness and concerns scales led to a two-factor (F1 – self-efficacy beliefs and knowledge and F2 – attitudes) and a single factor solution (concerns) respectively. The pre- (N=113) and post-course (N=86) online survey responses were compared with regard to all the factors. The analysis showed that the participants’ post-course attitudes were more positive than at the beginning of the course, but the difference was not statistically significant. We observed a statistically significant increase in the trainee teachers’ post-course self-efficacy beliefs and knowledge of inclusion and SEN, with a large effect size. This change was paired with a statistically significant increase in their post-course concerns, with medium effect size for the change. A series of one-way MANOVAs showed that the effect of demographic variables (gender, teaching experience other than during practicum, experience with learners with SEN) on all factors across the two datasets was not statistically significant. © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.

Does the law matter? An empirical study on the accessibility of Finnish higher education institutions' web pages.

Information and communication technology (ICT) has made higher education available to many students in a new way. The role of online learning in higher education institutions (HEIs) has grown to an unprecedented scale due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The diversity of higher education students has increased, and accessible solutions are needed. New European and national regulations support these trends. The research reported in this paper was conducted in Finland, which is one of the leading European countries in terms of high technology and digitalisation. The aim of this research is to explore the accessibility of all Finnish HEIs' (N = 38) landing pages based on Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1). The situations before and after recent legislation are compared. Previous studies have shown that HEIs' landing pages typically have many accessibility errors. Unlike previous studies, this study considered the types of accessibility errors at a detailed level to support HEIs' development and implementation of accessibility standards. A combination of two automated accessibility testing tools was used, and the performance of individual tools was analysed. The results show that HEIs' landing pages are not accessible and there are enormous differences between institutions. Two clusters of HEIs were found: one with good accessibility in terms of WCAG 2.1's four principles (perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust), and one with poor accessibility. On half of the HEIs' landing pages with poor accessibility, the number of errors increased even given the binding nature of the law. Obviously, there is still work to be done. Implications for practice are also discussed.

Using Mathematics Game-based Intervention on Children with Special Educational Needs: Preliminary Findings

Many video games incorporate positive learning principles, stimulating students' cognitive functioning and promoting problem-solving and spatial abilities. The high levels of engagement and involvement that some students can achieve with video games are notable. Hence, video games for children with a long history of school failure, such as children with special educational needs (SEN). Moreover, it may give educators immediate and ongoing assessment of students' progress. When complemented with human tutoring, video games as a game-based intervention may improve mathematics performance since instruction is more effective when adapted to students' learning needs and pace. As part of the research project "GBl4deaf - Game-based Learning for Deaf Students (PTDC/COM-CSS/32022/2017), the video game "Space adventure: Defend the planet!" was designed to stimulate arithmetic competencies in deaf and hearing children. The player must use elementary arithmetical and spatial concepts to rebuild an abandoned space station. Each challenge has three difficulty levels. In the game challenge used in this study, the player must add or remove particles to collect resources. The current research focuses on two questions: The study follows two research questions: Q1: Did the students make any progress in mathematics achievement after playing the video game?;Q2: Is the gameplay of Space adventure: Defend the planet! an engaging experience for players? A pre-and post-game mathematical test was applied to measure mathematics achievement and an observational grid to gather information about arithmetical procedures. Ten fourth- to ninth-graders participated in the study - four girls and six boys, aged between 9 and 16, three deaf and seven hearing students with different special needs (dyscalculia, cognitive deficits, autism spectrum disorder, deafness and Asperger syndrome). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, children played the video game using Zoom video conference software in 8-12 sessions (50 minutes, two a three times/week). The results show 4% to 19% of mathematics progression after children played the video game and indicate that they maintain the use of counting-based procedures throughout the game sessions. For instance, they kept counting both addends starting from 1 or counting by 1, 2, 5 or 10 using a number line. The current data suggest that the videogame "Space adventure: Defend the planet!" allows educators to gather immediate information about students' difficulties and progression. © 2022 Dechema e.V.. All rights reserved.

The Associations Between Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity Levels and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

To examine the associations between physical activity (PA) levels and mental health in children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (IDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, 117 participants aged between 6 and 17 years with IDs from 10 Hong Kong special schools were included. There were positive dose-response associations between PA (i.e., light PA, moderate PA, and vigorous PA) and mental health, and participants with higher levels of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and self-concept (SC) had better social quality of life (QoL) than those with lower levels of MVPA and SC. Moreover, personal and environmental factors such as age, body mass index, school, sex, ID level, and parental education level influenced the PA levels and QoL in children and adolescents with IDs.

Practices of Teachers and Parents of Learners with Special Educational Needs During Pandemic

The research focused on the practices of teachers and parents of learners with special educational needs during pandemic employing descriptive-correlational research design. It specifically sought the demographic profile of the teachers and parent-respondents. Using purposive sampling, the respondents of the study consisted of 22 teachers and 26 parents from Academia De Santiago of Tarlac, and Angel Beats Play and Development Center, Manila, Philippines. The frequency count, percentage weighted mean, and correlation analysis were used to treat the data gathered from the survey-questionnaire. Results revealed that that the teacher-respondents "greatly encountered" behavioral problems and "encountered" cognitive development problems in handling LSENs;parent-respondents "encountered" both behavioral and cognitive development problems. There was a "great extent" of practices of teachers while "little extent" in parents' practices. There was a significant relationship between the demographic profile of the teacher-respondents and the extent of teachers' practices. Based from the significant findings drawn, this study recommends to upskill teachers' competencies in handling learners with special education needs. Finally, implementation of the action plan is hereby recommended to improve the behavioral and cognitive aspects of the learners and to further improve practices of teachers and parents of the home-schooled learners with special educational needs during a pandemic and its aftermath. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business & Education Research is the property of Future Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)