Virtual learning was a disaster since day one in our household for our 5th grader who has complex ADHD, Anxiety and other learning differences. Let me be clear that while our child was in school he loved his teachers and friends. Virtual learning made showing up for class - in general - let alone on time, ready and able to access the curriculum through the computer a nightmare for our son.
Additionally, in order to show up for class, either myself or my husband needed to be by his side for the entire day. Over the first 3 and a half months of school most mornings started daily with tears, negative self-talk and sharing how much he hated virtual learning. Statements such as "I can't learn", "teachers are ignoring me", "they are going too fast for me to follow along" were staples in the home and continued to be present during the school day.
At the time. he had an IEP with 7+ hours of pull out plus OT services, which meant many transitions between google meets and teachers during the already complex day - so as you can imagine - for a child that struggles transitioning and has diagnosed processing delays - none of this is good. Often turning his camera off so others didn't see him crying and frustrated. He would walk away, do his best to try and calm down, then by the time he was regulated enough to come back to class he had missed more key information. This led to more frustration, more meltdowns and additional lack of learnings.
Despite every effort to make this work, the environment provided via virtual learning didn't provide a learning platform where he could access the curriculum and learn. Instead it consistently contributed to increased levels of anxiety, ongoing negative self talk, impulsive behaviors to a level where it was no longer physically, mentally or emotionally healthy to keep him in public school. We withdrew him from his homeschool and moved to a private school where - through the course of the next 5 years - gained tools to regulate, a pace that allowed him time to process, move, and embrace learning. Ultimately leading to a decrease in an anxiety negative self talk and an increase in self confidence, self esteem and a renewed love of learning.
Fast forward 5 years - Currently taking online Drivers Education and shifting from this incredible private school I reference above to a comprehensive public school for his 11th and 12th grade years. None of which would be possible, had we not chosen to take the path less followed - the one others didn't understand nor necessarily approve of at the time.
