How Has the Pandemic Affected Students with Disabilities? A Review of the Evidence to Date

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all students’ learning over the past 18 months—and students with disabilities have been at particular risk for disruptions in access to education. While the full impacts of the pandemic are evolving, it’s essential to understand the impacts to date to provide students the services and support they need to recover from interrupted learning.

This brief, How Has the Pandemic Affected Students with Disabilities? A Review of the Evidence to Date, examines those impacts based on a review of hundreds of studies. In particular, the report highlights widespread disruptions to Individual Education Programs (IEPs) and Section 504 plans. It also examines significant disparities in access to specialized services and draws attention to areas of further inquiry.