Up To Date

Students With Intellectual And Development Disabilities Are Without Vital Services During Pandemic

By Steve Kraske,

Published April 21, 2020 at 3:22 PM CDT

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Empty desks sit in rows and columns in an empty classroom — Due to stay-at-home orders, students with disabilities are unable to receive the therapies they would normally get while at school.

Some things are being done to help, but caretakers and parents are still concerned.

Experts explained that if you're a parent to a child with special needs, you should keep a log of any delays or regressions you notice while they don't have access to their educators and therapists. This will help get kids back on track when life gets back to "normal."

Guests:

Tec Chapman, executive vice president of Easterseals Midwest
Dr. Lara Wakefield, advocate for parents with special education children and co-founder of Smarter Steps

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Steve Kraske

When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.

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Elizabeth Ruiz

As a producer for Up To Date, my goal is to inform our audience by curating interesting and important conversations with reliable sources and individuals directly affected by a topic or issue. I strive for our program to be a place that hosts impactful conversations, providing our audience with greater knowledge, intrigue, compassion and entertainment. Contact me at elizabeth@kcur.org or on Twitter at @er_bentley_ruiz.

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Mackenzie Martin

Whether it’s something happening right now or something that happened 100 years ago, some stories don’t fit in the short few minutes of a newscast. As a podcast producer and reporter at KCUR Studios, I help investigate questions and local curiosities in a way that brings listeners along for adventures with plot twists and thought-provoking ideas. Sometimes there isn’t an easy answer in the end – but my hope is that we all leave with a greater understanding of the city we live in. Reach me at mackenzie@kcur.org.

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