Driving Access and Impact With Technology in Special Education

According to the NCES, “In 2019–20, the number of students ages 3–21 who received special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was 7.3 million, or 14 percent of all public school students. Among students receiving special education services, the most common category of disability (33 percent) was specific learning disabilities.” In the past two years, the numbers are rising with the mental health crisis accelerating while SPED staffing is dwindling due to burnout, COVID, remote work and lifestyle demands. On an already strained system, mounting pressures harrow school teams, clinical providers, the students and their families. Yet, with record breaking funding via federal ESSER funding and state budgets, there is a huge opportunity for technology, new programs, and creative tools to experiment with solutions to these extraordinary challenges. Join leaders in the Special Education sector of EdTech for a panel on why you should be invested in these issues, where the problems lie, and how we can fix them. Panelists will provide insight on their experiences bringing special education services to more populations through technology, digital accessibility, and innovation.