Remote learning for children with Special Education Needs in the era of COVID-19: Beyond tele-conferencing sessions

The unprecedented situation of Covid-19 which resulted in the closure of schools, enforced the educational community worldwide to find alternative ways to design the learning process. In special education the challenges are greater due to the need of individualized learning in 1:1 base, physical prompt, visual support and direct reinforcement. Nowadays, the Internet services, like remote learning and teletherapy, could be an alternative and effective method of providing virtual intervention services using either well known video conferencing platforms, or more specialized ones. However, while such platforms hold great promise, there are few research studies that discuss the design decisions of the remote learning services and the most effective learning model that could be offered to children with Special Education Needs (SEN). The goal of this paper is to present a case study where SEN teachers and therapists applied a remote leaming approach using an innovative online education gaming platform in combination with a video conferencing platform during the period of school closures due to Covid-19. Thirteen (13) children from three special schools participated in the study, with the majority having the autism diagnosis. The positive effects of this remote learning approach are discussed with the focus remaining on autism population.