Kelli Weaver found herself fumbling as she tried to apply teaching guides from her second-grade son’s classroom to math and reading lessons at home. The effort would often end in meltdowns rather than learning.
Parker, an 8-year-old in a high-performing autism class at the Yakima School District’s Gilbert Elementary School, was accustomed to a certain structure in his classroom. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t be in school suddenly when buildings statewide closed in mid-March. His mom was managing his behavioral, medical and schooling needs on top of her usual daytime responsibilities. Parker’s social and verbal skills began to regress and Weaver feared his academic progress from the school year would follow.