Rachel Ettlinger – Times Herald-Record and Seth Harrison Rockland/Westchester Journal News USA TODAY NETWORK in the D&C on 11/23/2020

Jordan Jansen sits at his end of the table, a door and window both covered in sheer white curtains draped behind him. The Middletown 12-year-old wears his bulky black headphones, blocking out the noise from the rest of the house.

His special education teacher, Cynthia Siper, can tell from the computer screen that his parents are nearby. Jordan listens intently to the lesson on astronomy, answering questions when prompted — and correctly, at that.

“Jordan, what date is the first day of winter?” Mrs. Siper asks.

“Dec. 22,” he answers.

Jordan’s eyes widen and a huge grin spreads across his face when he knows he is right. Even when he’s muted, his teacher and two teachers’ aides can sometimes see him mouth the answer when someone else is asked a question.