Republic of the Philippines

SULTAN KUDARAT STATE UNIVERSITY

ACCESS, EJC Montilla, 9800 City of Tacurong
Province of Sultan Kudarat

COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION

AN ANALYSIS ON A CASE STUDY OF A FOSTER PARENT

WORKING TO SUPPORT A CHILD WITH MULTIPLE
DISABILITIES
IN A FULL-TIME VIRTUAL SCHOOL

Final Term Requirement in

ProfEd604 – Foundations of Special and Inclusive Education

Submitted by:
CHRISTLE JOY MANALO
JEFFREY LIBO-ON
CJ AXEL LEAL
LYKA BLAZE PARONDO
JESSABEL PASTOLERO
BSED-Social Studies 3

Submitted to:
PROF. CHERRY PUEBLO-TUBOLA
Course Facilitator

DECEMBER 11, 2023

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 Table of Contents

Case Study

Background of the study

Intro

Summary

Insights

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 Summary

A case study investigated the experiences of a foster parent supporting a child

with multiple disabilities in a full-time virtual school. The study aimed to

understand how the school responded to the child’s needs and how the foster

parent perceived the school. The foster parent found that the school did not

adequately comply with IDEA requirements. The study has implications for

improving the virtual school experiences of students and parents. The article also

briefly discusses the challenges faced by foster children with disabilities in virtual

schools and the limited research on the topic.

Children with disabilities are more likely to be abused and relinquished to the

child welfare system. Foster children in virtual schools often have mental health

impairments, making it difficult for them to attend traditional schools. Virtual

schools must adhere to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), but

specific instructions on how to do so are lacking. Virtual schooling can be

inclusive for students with disabilities if they have access to the same online

learning opportunities as their peers. Parent involvement in developing

Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) in virtual schools is required, but

research on how students with disabilities are being served through IEPs in

online schools is limited. The lack of state-level policy and guidance and limited

research on best practices can add stress on parents.

FAPE in online courses and programs is a challenge, and state directors believe

that IEP teams in virtual schools lack the necessary expertise to ensure FAPE.

Parents of students with disabilities in online environments find it challenging to

support their children’s learning and monitor their progress. In virtual learning,

teachers of students with disabilities are underprepared to teach self-regulation

skills and rely on parental help. This study focuses on the case of Gladys, a

foster parent whose son has Autism, Emotional and Behavioral Disorder, and

Attention Deficit Disorder, enrolled in a virtual school. Data for the study were

collected through phenomenological interviews and analysis was conducted to

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gain a greater understanding of Gladys’ experiences as a learning coach in a

virtual environment.

The researchers analyzed Gladys’ work and found that certain words and

phrases were helpful to describe her work. They also looked for evidence of

Gladys’ long-term philosophies for working with schools. They also examined

Derek’s IEP document and looked for evidence of the services he was receiving.

They also reviewed the school and state policies to understand Gladys’

perception of the virtual school’s relationship with her. In terms of findings,

Gladys perceived that Derek was not being accommodated in the virtual school,

that he was being asked to do work beyond his ability, and that she was

expected to provide specialized instruction. She believed that the virtual school

curriculum was not designed for students with disabilities and that there was no

special needs program. Gladys concluded that the virtual school required

students with disabilities to assimilate into regular education courses.

A parent, Gladys, Is concerned about the lack of appropriate services and

accommodations for her son, Derek, who has disabilities, at an online academy.

She feels that the school expects him to perform at grade level despite his

challenges and that the curriculum is not suitable for him. Gladys believes that

special needs children should start with smaller, personalized instruction and

then progress as they grasp the material. She also feels that she is being

expected to take on the role of a teacher, which is overwhelming for her. Overall,

she is dissatisfied with the virtual school’s approach and believes that she should

be the primary service provider for her son.

Gladys feels overwhelmed in her role as a learning coach for her son Derek, who

has multiple exceptionalities including Attention Deficit Disorder. She is

responsible for keeping him on task and managing his behavior, but feels

unsupported by the virtual school staff. Gladys believes that the traditional school

environment is not suitable for Derek and worries about his safety. She also feels

that her age and level of education may be barriers to effectively supporting

Derek in the virtual school setting.

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Gladys faced challenges in coordinating time and finances for her family,

including her son Derek’s education. She felt restricted from fully engaging in

socialization opportunities offered by the virtual school. The virtual school offered

field trips, but Gladys found it difficult to ensure Derek could attend. Field trips

are considered part of FAPE and denying access to them is a civil rights

violation. Gladys also felt concerned about monitoring Derek’s behavior on field

trips. She responded to these challenges by aligning herself with the teachers

instead of blaming them and advocating for Derek. However, her efforts were

insufficient, and she eventually moved Derek to another school. Gladys saw the

teachers as wanting to help but limited by the institution. She also took on the

role of advocate for Derek when he struggled with the curriculum. She had to find

appropriate materials for him on her own, which took a lot of her time.

Gladys found supplementary videos and websites for her son, Derek, to access

curriculum topics and lower reading demands. She emphasized Derek’s

strengths as a learner, including his self-advocacy skills and ability to engage

with visual or interactive academic material. Gladys also mentioned Derek’s

appreciation for synchronous lessons and his ability to utilize technological

literacies to access his education. However, despite her efforts to work with the

IEP team, Gladys enrolled Derek in another school due to the lack of services

provided. The study suggests implications for practice, including the need for

virtual school officials to consider the needs of students with special needs and

provide appropriate support. The question of what will happen to Derek and other

students like him remains, emphasizing the importance of accommodating

children in the online environment and providing additional preparation and

support for virtual educators.

Teachers and teacher educators are recognizing the need for preparation in the

online environment. There is resistance due to concerns about the delivery of

services and the ability to provide FAPE. Efforts should be made to engage with

virtual schools and provide professional development that meets IDEA demands.

Research should explore parental perceptions and support practices in virtual

schools, as well as the reasons why dissatisfied parents may be reluctant to

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report negative experiences. Policy should address how parents can be involved

in IEP implementation in virtual schools.

Parents of students with disabilities in virtual schools lack sufficient information

and support to make informed school choices. Policies should require virtual

schools to provide clear information to parents about their responsibilities and

provide relief and support when overwhelmed. IEP teams should also be

knowledgeable about instructional delivery in online settings. Policies should

support parents in the context of the entire family and empower them to enact

procedural safeguards. Virtual schools should also provide information about

advocacy centers to parents. It is important for virtual educators to acknowledge

and address the experiences and beliefs of parents of students with disabilities to

improve the quality of virtual schools.

The sources referenced In this text cover a range of topics related to disabilities

and education. They discuss the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

(IDEA), opportunities and barriers for individuals with disabilities in eLearning,

qualitative research interviews, the distribution of special education teachers,

barriers to digital inclusion, online education funding, roles and responsibilities of

parents of online school students with disabilities, abuse of adolescents with

intellectual disabilities, supporting literacy with accessibility in virtual schools,

online teacher work to support self-regulation of learning in students with

disabilities, experiences of online educators supporting students with disabilities,

the research base for online learning and students with disabilities, special

education teacher preparation for online learning, challenges and opportunities in

online learning for students with disabilities, preparing special education teachers

for online learning, parents’ perceptions of special education service delivery in

fully online learning, qualitative management research, virtual schools and school

choice accountability, and children with disabilities in foster care.

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 Insight

Gladys’ insights into Derek’s virtual education experience highlight a profound

sense of frustration and disappointment. She perceives that the online academy

fails to adequately accommodate students with disabilities, pointing out that the

curriculum seems tailored for those without special needs. This perception is

exacerbated by the lack of clear policies supporting students like Derek, leaving

Gladys feeling that the virtual school expects her to take on the role of the

primary provider for specialized instruction. This situation is far from what she

anticipated when initially enrolling Derek, believing the virtual school would cater

to his unique needs. Moreover, Gladys identifies a significant discrepancy

between the virtual school’s promises on its website and the reality of Derek’s

education. Despite assurances of a continuum of services for students with

disabilities, Gladys observes that the school places an undue emphasis on

grade-level performance, ignoring Derek’s documented challenges in reading

and math. This mismatch between expectations and Derek’s actual abilities

contributes to Gladys’ perception that the virtual school is not genuinely invested

in providing Derek with a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). Her

concerns extend beyond academics, touching upon the added stressors on

Derek’s mental health due to the intensified academic demands.

Gladys’ insights also shed light on the various personal challenges she faces as

a non-traditional, older foster mother with limited resources. Her age becomes a

perceived barrier, as she feels out of touch with the technological demands of

virtual education. Despite holding a college degree, she finds herself grappling

with the literacy and cognitive demands required to support Derek’s learning.

Juggling the responsibilities of a single parent to multiple foster children, Gladys

also expresses the difficulty in coordinating family life and engaging in the

socialization opportunities offered by the virtual school. Ultimately, her decision to

change schools reflects a culmination of these challenges and her perception

that the virtual school is unable to meet Derek’s unique needs. The case study

on Gladys’ perception of Derek’s virtual education is a poignant exploration of the

challenges faced by parents navigating the complexities of online schooling,

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particularly for children with disabilities. Gladys’ insights vividly depict the stark

contrast between the virtual school’s promises and the harsh realities

experienced by Derek. The narrative underscores the critical need for

educational institutions to bridge the gap between rhetoric and implementation,

especially when it comes to accommodating diverse learning needs.

-JEFFREY L. LIBO-ON

BSED – Social Studies 3

Insight

The findings in this successful case study that we’ve adapted are they interacted

with a foster parent supporting a child with autism and other disabilities in a fully

online setting. It requires a holistic approach that addresses the child’s

educational, emotional, and physical needs. For every special child or child that

has special needs, we need to understand their situation or disability, especially

their parents. The virtual classes are for students who have no disability, but

implementing virtual classes for children who have a disability is not easy for

them to learn new knowledge. Like Derek (a child who has disabilities) they need

face-to-face classes, to guide them on what to do and what else they should

learn. I am not saying that virtual classes are not effective, but let’s adapt the

situation to a person have disabilities, if they can be taught through using virtual

classes they be guided using that kind of strategy in teaching?

For me conduct routine evaluations to monitor the child’s growth and

development. Future educational plans and modifications can be influenced by

this information. Keep an eye on the child’s welfare and mental health, and seek

out professional assistance when necessary. To guarantee that the child’s

educational rights are respected and that the online learning environment is

inclusive, the foster parent might need to take on the role of an advocate for the

child. If more resources or support services are required, such as more tutoring

or specialized therapies, speak up in favor of them. Tailoring education to the

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child’s specific needs, providing emotional support, and advocating for necessary

resources are all essential components of a comprehensive support system.

-JESSABEL PASTOLERO

BSED – Social Studies 3

Insight

In what I understand in this case study entitled: A Case Study of a Foster Parent

Working to Support a Child with a Multiple Disabilities in a Full-Time Virtual

School is that, virtual school is not fit with students with diverse need or

disabilities. Though we might say that they have courses and services, but we

can’t deny the fact that they’re different from normal students or regular ones

because, we can’t hide the emergence of situation. Maybe some students with

disabilities may comfortable or flexible enough to respond in the virtual school but

there is a certain situation might occur. And the most effective solutions in

dealing with the students with disabilities is the presence of the one who teach. In

what Gladys experience during the virtual school of his son, is the time spend in

the virtual school hours, 2-3 hours she said is enough for the child. And that

Derek has difficulty in dealing with subjects like reading, math and incapable of

the assign task since Derek has a multiple disabilities such as emotional and

behavioral concerns.

And that, the Institution itself should be considerate to students with

exceptionalities, reduces inappropriate academic load. For my own perspective I

should give Gladys “a big hand” because of her dedication as a Foster mother to

her Children that has a multiple exceptionalities, even though she is an “older”,

but it seems like her love for the children are more stronger. Also many services

support to student like Derek, but I think the evaluation must be equal too, even a

student like him faced even more injustices.

-LYKA BLAZE PARONDO

BSED – Social Studies 3

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 Insight

For children who have suffered trauma and require a stable home, foster parents

are essential in providing a loving and supportive environment. Foster parents

play a much more important role when the child has multiple disabilities. In

addition, the foster parent needs to be conscious of the child’s emotional health

and offer the required social support. Because the school environment is virtual,

they might need to come up with innovative ways to support the child in making

meaningful connections with others and establishing social skills.

Foster parents have special challenges when caring for a child with disabilities in

a full-time virtual school setting. To guarantee the child’s unique needs are

satisfied, they might have to work closely with teachers, therapists, and other

experts. This could entail developing a personalized lesson plan, offering extra

assistance during online courses, or leading virtual counseling sessions.

-CJ AXEL LEAL

BSED – SOCIAL STUDIES 3

Insight

This case study talks about Gladys, a foster parent helping her son Derek with

Autism, Emotional and Behavioral Disorder, and Attention Deficit Disorder in a

virtual school. It’s sad to hear that the virtual school didn’t follow the rules meant

for students with disabilities, leaving Gladys feeling unsupported. As a college

student, I feel for Gladys, trying to figure out a system that doesn’t seem ready

for kids like Derek. The study points out problems in the rules, not enough help

for parents, and the tough job teachers have in virtual schools.

Gladys’s story shows how hard it is for parents in virtual schools, dealing with

extra stress and responsibilities. It’s clear her efforts to help Derek faced a lot of

challenges. The study tells us we really need to make virtual education more

caring and inclusive. It calls on virtual schools to think about and support

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students with disabilities better. As a college student, this study makes me think

we should push for better rules, more help for parents, and better training for

teachers in virtual schools. It reminds us that kindness and understanding are

crucial for a school system that truly helps every student, no matter their

challenges.

-CHRISTLE JOY MANALO

BSED – Social Studies 3

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