Receipt of and satisfaction with school-based and virtual special education supports and therapeutic services during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted school-based delivery of special educational supports and therapeutic services. This study describes student receipt of school-based supports/services and parent satisfaction by instruction modalities, during the 2020–2021 academic year in the United States. Data were collected through the COVID Experiences Survey from parents of children ages 5–12 years, administered using NORC’s AmeriSpeak panel. Most parents reported satisfaction with supports (88.4%) and services (93.2%). Parents whose children received supports/services virtually were more likely to be dissatisfied than those whose children received supports/services in-person, after adjustment for child's age and emotional, mental, developmental, behavioral, or physical condition (special educational supports: aOR=12.00, 95% CI [1.49–96.89], p=0.020; therapeutic services: aOR=15.76, 95% CI [1.01–245.40], p=0.049), suggesting opportunities to improve virtual delivery of school-based supports/services.