Distance Learning

PresenceLearning Launches Online Special Education Service

• By Christopher Piehler
• 04/30/15

Online speech and occupational therapy provider PresenceLearning is now offering access to online special education teachers. PresenceLearning can connect schools and districts with fully credentialed special education teachers who are located remotely and can deliver instruction to students with mild, moderate and severe needs.

According to Stephanie Dahlke, director of behavioral and mental health services at PresenceLearning and a former director of special education in Idaho, “Schools are struggling with a persistent, nationwide shortage of special education teachers. They find it hard to recruit and retain qualified professionals, and their existing teachers struggle to serve high caseloads.” 

Schools with these staffing issues can use PresenceLearning’s online special education instruction services both for individual students and for small groups. For students in general education classrooms with mild needs, the online special educators can support academic instruction, collect data and facilitate assignments.  For students with moderate needs, online educators can provide support and scaffolding to lessons or deliver lessons from the school’s special education replacement curriculum. For students with more severe needs, online educators can lead individual or small-group, functional-based instruction on life skills such as money, time and reading a menu or a bus schedule.