An Assessment of the Feasibility and Effectiveness of Distance Learning for Students With Severe Developmental Disabilities and High Behavioral Needs
Distance learning saved about half of IEP skills for students with severe needs, so use it as a bridge, not the main road.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Tomaino et al. (2022) asked teachers and parents how students with severe disabilities did when school moved to Zoom.
They looked at IEP goals, behavior plans, and how people felt about learning at home.
The kids had intellectual disability, autism, or other delays and needed lots of adult help.
What they found
Kids kept about half of their IEP skills and gained a few new ones.
Families did not love or hate the setup; feelings stayed in the middle.
Overall, distance learning held the line but did not move kids far ahead.
How this fits with other research
Neely et al. (2021) reviewed earlier papers and said telehealth works for teaching skills but is shaky for stopping problem behavior.
Araten-Bergman et al. (2021) saw families of adults in group homes grow lonely on video calls and called remote contact "not enough." The Tomaino study looks happier, but the kids were younger and had school staff online every day—different age, different support.
Peysin et al. (2023) tested preschoolers one-on-one and found half learned faster in person. Tomaino’s survey of real classrooms shows the same weak edge for remote: some gain, but not for everyone.
Why it matters
You can keep some IEP momentum during snow days, staffing shortages, or the next outbreak. Pick goals that parents can see and count—like pointing to colors or washing hands—so you know if the skill really holds. If a student stalls, switch back to in-person or add short booster visits instead of hoping more Zoom will fix it.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Schools across the country closed their doors during the COVID-19 pandemic. These measures impacted all students, as schools, educators, and families grappled with the realities of transitioning to distance-learning platforms. The research on distance learning is still in its early phases. However, almost no research exists on educating students with severe disabilities and high behavioral needs using this technology. Study 1 collected survey data from students’ families and their educators on the feasibility and effectiveness of distance-learning programs when working with students with severe developmental disabilities and high behavioral needs. Results indicated that parents and educators had generally neutral attitudes toward distance learning, although educators agreed that their students were obtaining educational benefits during distance learning. Study 2 further examined the effects of a transition to distance learning on students’ Individualized Education Plan (IEP) goal progress. Analyses revealed that students maintained about half of the skills addressed in their IEPs and made progress on an additional quarter of their IEP goals. Findings contribute to a much-needed literature base on distance learning and provide additional information as to the feasibility and effectiveness of distance learning with students with severe developmental disabilities and high behavioral needs. Future work is needed to determine best practices for distance learning with this population.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2022 · doi:10.1007/s40617-020-00549-1