Foster, Kim

English

Kim Foster reflects on the impact that lockdown has had on parents of children and young people with SEN

Winchester Research Repository

ncnasen connect30 / FEATURE➜ SPOTLIGHTuch has been written andconsidered in regardto the effects of theCOVID-19 lockdown forchildren’s education andmental health, but whatabout parents? Whatimpact did this sudden change in lifestyleand expectations have for them?Lockdown was no doubt a challengingtime for all parents. They suddenly faceda significant shift in their responsibilities,not only in terms of their own daily lifeand mental health during an uncertaintime but also that of their children. Formany parents, the overwhelming emotionseems to have been anxiety as they triedto balance the emotional and educationalneeds of their children and for many thiswas alongside trying to also manage theirown job. Aimee, a mum of two, cited thisperiod as ‘an emotional rollercoaster’.Home schooling became the norm andexperiences of success seemed to varynot only by location, but also by the ageand the individual needs of their children.In part, this was as a result of variation ofprovision and support from schools. SomeMparents reported what they perceived to begood structure and provision of tasks andlessons from school, with video lessons orstructured resources. Others were givensuggestions for activities weekly. Forparents of children with special educationalneeds, the importance of being givenappropriate tasks was even more relevant.Whilst many parents recognised thatsupport for their child could not be thesame as in school, they wanted their child’sneeds to be acknowledged.Sharon, a parent of a child withan education, health and care plan,commented: “I still want my daughter tofeel that she is part of the school – even ifshe is being sent different work home – andthat her efforts are recognised, especiallyin communications that go out to the wholeclass or school praising the children whohave logged in to do their work.”For others, trying to explain the changesto school routines provided challenge,and for some of those with more complexneeds, little respite support.Discussions within parent friendshipgroups compared these schoolarrangements, with parents drawingconclusions about which school was‘best’ in what they had provided. Someparents felt teachers were doing ‘lesswork’ and should be engaging withparents and pupils more. This seemedeven more significant to those supportingchildren with special educational needs athome. Sharon, explained: “What wouldmake a huge difference to us is regularcommunication between my daughter andher subject teachers about the differentiatedwork being set and progress being made,some support from teaching assistants, evenif just a phone or video call once a week,Kim Foster reflects on the impact thatlockdown has had on parents of childrenand young people with SEND.PARENTS,PARTNERSHIPAND PANDEMICncwww.nasen .org .ukand the inclusion of my daughter in wholeclass projects or activities so that she is notcompletely isolated whilst working on herindividual worksheets at home.”Some schools worked hard to engagepersonally with pupils. Clare, an EarlyYears Foundation Stage Leader, who asa teacher phoned her class membersindividually each week, identified that themood of parents changed over time. Sheexplained: “Initially this period felt novel –like holiday time, but as a time went on,I gave out more behaviour managementstrategies and ways to help support andmanage anxiety. As their children wereyoung, parents needed support in knowinghow to ‘pitch’ work for their children.”Clare also noted the emotional supporther calls gave parents: “Parents wantedreassurance that what they were doing wasOK. I was a listening ear for parents whofelt isolated and were finding juggling workand home schooling tough.”Not all parents were able to accesssuch support. The use of technology tosupport teaching also varied but, for manyolder pupils, it provided the main sourceof teaching. For some families, logistics ofspaces to work, availability of IT equipmentand Wi-Fi issues made this stressful,especially if they were also working onlinethemselves. Parents of older childrenworried about the impact of lack of lessonson their future exams: ‘Will they get enoughtime to make up the time, should I be doingmore for them?’Lockdown had some unexpectedoutcomes too. Many parents identifiedenjoyment in spending more qualitytime as a family. Aimee, a mum of two,acknowledged that although time felt verybusy, lockdown also felt like ‘time slowing‘What would make ahuge difference to us isregular communicationbetween my daughterand her subjectteachers.’ncnasen connect32 / FEATURE➜ SPOTLIGHTWith thanks to Sharon Smith, Sue McCowan, Clare Watkinsand Aimee Rance for their contributions.down’. Clare, a mum of a 17-year-old,describes how her son had more time tofill his time with new hobbies, “that heprobably wouldn’t have done before”.For some parents, less time commutingand rushing back from work to cook dinner,reduced stress levels considerably. Dailywalks to get out of the house allowed formore time to chat and ensure everyonehad screen-free time. However, for someparents, using their daily walk ‘allowance’in this way meant opportunities to exercisealone and undertake hobbies, such asrunning, was not possible. This, in turn,affected parents’ emotional well-being.Sue, a parent of a child with autism,stressed the importance of goodcommunication around transitions withboth the student and their parent(s). Sheexplained: “We can help teachers bybacking up what is happening at schooland explaining why our child might notrespond well or there may be an evenbetter way to approach something. Pleasedon’t tell me you know my child and thenproceed to show me you really don’t at all,that undermines confidence. Better to say,‘I’m still getting to know them better, whatelse do I need to know?”As we now face increasing uncertainty,parents’ anxiety is starting to build again. Weare approaching winter which will impact onopportunities for outdoor activities, thereforepossibly further reducing emotional wellbeingfor parents. Many schools are alreadyreassuring parents that lesson materials will beavailable and are being prepared. Parentsare weighing up what supplies to get in thehouse in order to entertain their children.Has this experience changed parents’perspectives on teachers? Many parentsare exceptionally grateful. Sue was keento say: “Thank to all of you who try sohard under so much pressure to do allthe above, read books we know you’vehad to buy yourselves, go on courses thatare tricky to get time and funding for andabove all rooting for our children andhelping them to succeed in all the smallways that are so big to them and us.”Ensure communication is maintained.Anxiety is fuelled by the unknown sokeeping lines of communication open is key.Establishing clearly understood sharedroutines underpins a sense of security.Remember this is new to everyoneand we are all learning to deal withthe situation on a day-to-day basis –information sharing alleviates some ofthe concerns that people might have.The reassurance of systems thatensure COVID-19 safety is essential.Creating a sense of communityand belonging is vital, whetheronline or in bubbles.Allow children and young people timeto talk about how they are feeling.Make time to talk with parents one-to-one about very specific concerns andactively listen to what they are telling you.KIM FOSTERKim is a Senior Lecturerin Education at theUniversity of Winchesterand teaches across theundergraduate andpostgraduate cohortsas part of the additionalneeds team. Prior to this,she was Inclusion Leaderin a small school inHampshire, in an area ofhigh levels of deprivation.BIOHOW MIGHT SCHOOL AND HOMEWORK BEST IN PARTNERSHIP TOSUPPORT CHILDREN AND YOUNGPEOPLE WITH SEND?For some parents, lesstime commuting andrushing back fromwork to cook dinner,reduced stress levelsconsiderably.

Parents, Partnership and Pandemic

https://cris.winchester.ac.uk/ws/files/11730055/Parents_Partnership_Pandemic_Kim_Foster.pdf

Parents, Partnership and Pandemic

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