Connecticut Must Increase Access to Disability Support Services for Children

by Dr. Rondalyn Whitney

In August 2020, a sudden, powerful, localized downdraft hit Connecticut. I can still see the impact of the microburst – downed trees and clear patches of land where a grove once stood. Four months earlier, a powerful global disruption hit with even greater impact, COVID-19 descended across the world with devastating force.

We responded: we retreated to our homes, we closed schools, we invented new curbside delivery and our children pivoted to remote education. Telehealth was elevated from a novel to a necessary method of healthcare delivery. However, Connecticut, like many states, has yet to unlock the full potential benefits of telehealth for children, particularly those with disabilities.

“Connecticut, like many states, has yet to unlock the full potential benefits of telehealth for children, particularly those with disabilities.”

While all children were impacted by the pandemic, children who had or who were at risk of having a developmental lag or disability impacting their occupational performance have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19’s disruption to learning, and more light has been shone on the inequities and disparities exacerbated for students with disabilities. The rate at which students attended school and received in-person education throughout the past two years varied greatly – districts with higher student needs were impacted more than those with lower student needs.

In November of 2021, Connecticut Voices for Children released the, “Reimagining Connecticut’s Special Education Systems for a Post-Pandemic Future” report which examined Connecticut’s special education systems. The report found Connecticut’s methods of funding and delivering special education services to fall short, despite the state’s notable rise in special education students within recent years. According to Connecticut state data, “The percentage of students who are in need of special education has increased to 15.9 percent from 11.6 percent of the student population over the same time period."

The pandemic has exacerbated the gaps for children with disabilities and more families are seeking services – shortage of providers in and out of the school system, long waitlists for diagnosis and evaluations, high costs, and lack of insurance coverage leave families left to wait – and while they wait, children get more and more behind. According to the CT Mirror, “Only 7% of Connecticut children with special education needs who were learning from home last year are where they should be academically.” It is imperative that the greater Connecticut community drive awareness of disability support services while simultaneously increasing accessibility.

Pediatric therapies serve a critical role for children with developmental delays and disabilities. Occupational therapy (OT) offers tremendous benefits for children with disabilities such as autism, yet many families do not even know OT is an effective resource. When there is a delay in the sensorimotor system, learning and occupational performance can be disrupted in proportion.

OT practitioners use evidence based and science driven methods to optimize neurodevelopmental maturation which, in turn, supports learning and social-emotional development. The School Occupational Therapy Community of Practice for the Connecticut Occupational Therapy Association has begun a series of events aimed to build statewide connections and exchange of information. The goal is to build the capacity of school occupational therapy practitioners to effectively support the development, learning, and needs of students in our schools, districts, regions, and state.

“While Connecticut has much work ahead to improve its special education system – change is possible.”

Telehealth expanded during the pandemic but isn’t new to the profession of OT. This method of service delivery has significant evidence to support positive therapeutic outcomes. Moreover, telehealth increases accessibility to pediatric therapies and practitioners are always committed to increasing access to developmental care via telehealth because of the benefits it offers for providers and families but most importantly children. Kinspire, a company that I advise closely, has created a new delivery model for OT that will help fill the void of developmental care that is being left in the post pandemic era.

While Connecticut has much work ahead to improve its special education system – change is possible. Connecticut’s higher education institutions are powerful partners in this change – Quinnipiac University’s Occupational Therapy department, is one of the top ranked programs in the United States. As the Chair, I can share that we are prioritizing innovations that will ultimately change the lives of children and families within our very own Connecticut community.

Dr. Rondalyn Whitney is a Professor and Chair at Quinnipiac University’s Occupational Therapy Department and senior advisor for Kinspire.