Support for Learners Provides One-Time Payment for Parents of Children 0-12 in Ontario
At the beginning of November 2020 the Ontario government announced that a new one-time payment for parents of children ages 0-12 called Support for Learners would be coming soon. Like the Support for Families payment that came before it, this program offers “a one-time payment of $200 for each child up to age 12, or $250 for each child or youth up to age 21 with special needs” to “provide parents and guardians with essential financial support for children and youth during these unprecedented times.” (Ontario Ministry of Education, Apply For Support for Learners Funding) Applications for this support opened earlier this week, and the process is quite simple. Applying takes less than five minutes and according to the government website, payments will be processed within two weeks. There are two simple payment options, either an e-transfer or direct deposit. When applying, you will need the following information:the name of your child’s school and school board (if applicable) your child’s date of birth valid email address your banking information (should you choose direct deposit).
It’s become very clear over the past several months, that learning during a pandemic is hard for students of all ages, whether they’re able to attend school in-person or they’re learning from home in a virtual classroom. Both scenarios offer unique challenges and supports like this help enable parents to provide our kids with the tools they need to help bridge the gap right now. The Support for Learners payment will help families provide vital support to their children during the pandemic, but it’s only available until January 15, 2021.
Learning During a Pandemic is an Unparalleled Challenge, Particularly for Students with Special Needs
It’s fairly safe to say – ten months into a global pandemic – that learning right now is really hard for students around the world. Learning this year looks very different than ever before. In Ontario, this school year began with parents choosing whether in-person learning at school or remote learning in a virtual classroom made the most sense for our families. Regardless of what we chose, we know that everything can change at a moment’s notice, just like it did in March.We know that online classes pose unique challenges to all students, but “virtual school can be particularly difficult for students who already struggle with writing, whether they have an IEP (Individualized Education Program) in place or not.” (Quillsoft, Online Learning Doesn't Have to Be a Virtual Disaster, September 2020). Right now, when it comes to school, parents of students who have a learning disability, are neurodivergent, or that have a physical disability are worried about the widening gap that pandemic learning has created in both in-school learning environments and virtual classrooms. In an interview with CBC, Rana Nasrazadani, an accessibility and education advocate who serves as a student representative for Ontario's K-12 education standards development committee, said that “She's concerned about stories she's hearing from peers — and from younger students and families — not getting what they need or unable to access the same educational supports they had before the pandemic, fuelling worries that learners with disabilities are being impeded from moving forward with their education.” (CBC, Pandemic Leaves Students With Disabilities Disconnected From Peers and Short on Support, December 2020). Thankfully, there are things that parents can do to help make remote learning less difficult for students with disabilities.
Assistive Technology Is a Crucial Support for Students With Disabilities, Especially Those Learning Remotely
Assistive technology (AT) refers to all of the “tools, products, and devices – from the simplest to the most complex – that can make a particular function easier or possible to perform. Some assistive technologies include screen readers, alternative keyboards, head pointing devices, voice recognition software, and screen magnification software.” (Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario, What is Assistive Technology) Assistive technologies like WordQ “can improve reading and spelling skills, among others, for students, helping them reach their full potential. Assistive technology can help increase children’s self-reliance and sense of independence by giving them more of a voice — and choice — in their learning.” (EdTech Magazine, How Assistive Technology Is Supporting Students Through the Pandemic, November 2020) WordQ is particularly helpful in virtual classrooms where so much of the interaction between students and their teachers and peers is through reading and writing online. WordQ 5, the newest version of WordQ, is a state-of-the-art assistive technology software that includes speech feedback, proofreading, speech recognition and dictation (for Windows only), an integrated PDF editor, and a topic research tool. Each of these features help neurodivergent students and students with disabilities work more independently and effectively in virtual classrooms.
This article was typed using WordQ 5.