IS
IS PLAYING OUT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>>> HERE IS SOMETHING WE THINK
IS WORTH YOUR TIME.
WE USUALLY PLUG LOCAL PORTLAND
JOURNALISTS IN THE SEGMENT.
TONIGHT WE WILL TIP OUR HATS TO
THE BIG GUYS.
NBC'S CHIEF FOREIGN
CORRESPONDENT RICHARD ENGEL GOT
PERSONAL.
PERSONAL.
PERSONAL. HIS FOUR-YEAR-OLD SON HENRY HAS
A SEVERE GENETIC NEUROLOGICAL
DISORDER.
DISORDER.
DISORDER. PRE-PANDEMIC SCHOOL WAS THE
PLACE WHERE HE GOT A LOT OF HIS
THERAPY.
THERAPY.
THERAPY. HE GOT TO INTERACT WITH OTHER
KIDS.
KIDS.
KIDS. IT
KIDS. IT WAS VALUABLE.
NOW OBVIOUSLY THAT IS GONE.
ONLINE SCHOOL FOR HIM IS A
DISASTER.
DISASTER.
DISASTER. HE SAID WITHOUT IN-PERSON
THERAPY AND INTERACTION HIS
SON'S CONDITION IS GETTING A
LOT WORSE.
LOT WORSE. HE SHAKES MORE OFTEN.
HE IS MORE EASILY UPSET.
WE ARE RECOMMENDING THE STORY
IN LARGE PART BECAUSE ANGLE
STORY REPRESENTS SO MANY OTHER
FAMILIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
CASE IN POINT NINE-YEAR-OLD
CAROLINE.
CAROLINE.
CAROLINE. A SWEET FUNNY KID.
WHO LIVES IN CLACKAMAS COUNTY.
CAROLINAS DIAGNOSED WITH
AUTISM.
AUTISM.
AUTISM. AND WITH A SYNDROME WHICH MEANS
SHE IS MISSING PART OF HER
FIFTH CHROMOSOME.
FIFTH CHROMOSOME. AS A RESULT CAROLINE IS
NONVERBAL AND SHE BENEFITS FROM
ALL KINDS OF THERAPY MOST OF
WHICH SHE GETS IN SCHOOL.
BUT HER MOM SARAH RHODES TO THE
STORY SAYING THAT RICHARD ENGEL
SON LIKE RICHARD ENGEL SON
CAROLINE IS REALLY SUFFERING.
SHE DOESN'T JUST MISS HER
FRIENDS LIKE MOST KIDS.
SHE IS NOT JUST STRUGGLING TO
DO HOMEWORK LIKE MOST KIDS.
SHE FLAT OUT CANNOT GO TO
SCHOOL VIA ZOMIG.
SHE CAN'T GET THERAPY FOR
OCCUPATIONAL SPEECH.
OCCUPATIONAL SPEECH. VIA ZOMIG.
VIA ZOMIG. ON TOP OF THAT SHE IS A FULL-
TIME EDUCATOR HERSELF SO SHE
LIKE A LOT OF PARENTS IS
WORKING FROM HOME.
AND SHE HOPES WITH THE STATES
OREGON FALL GUIDELINES SHE
WOULD GET SOME GUIDANCE.
BASICALLY GET SOME HELP.
EVEN JUST GOING TO SCHOOL PART-
TIME WITH A SMALL NUMBER OF
KIDS FOR CAROLINE WOULD MAKE A
HUGE DIFFERENCE.
HUGE DIFFERENCE. NO DICE.
NO DICE.
NO DICE. REGARDING STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL
NEEDS THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION IN RECENT GUIDELINES
SAID LIMITED IN-PERSON
INSTRUCTION CAN BE OFFERED ON
SKILLS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO
TEACH THROUGH DISTANCE LEARNING
AND WITH STUDENTS THAT ARE
UNABLE TO EFFECTIVELY ACCESS
INSTRUCTION THROUGH DISTANCE
LEARNING.
LEARNING.
LEARNING. TABER POINTS OUT THE PROBLEM
WITH THE CLAUSE IS THAT IT
GIVES DISTRICTS THE OPTION THAT
IT DOESN'T REQUIRE THAT THEY
OFFER IN-PERSON LEARNING.
SHE WORRIES DISTRICT TO
DISTRICT KIDS LIKE CAROLINE
WILL BE HAVE LEFT BEHIND EVEN
IF DISTRICT AND TEACHERS ARE
DOING THEIR BEST.
WHILE ONLINE LEARNING IS HARD
FOR ALL KIDS FOR CHILDREN WITH
SPECIAL NEEDS IS PRETTY MUCH
IMPOSSIBLE.>>> WE WERE GETTING
EMAILS WITH ACTIVITIES VIA
POWERPOINT THAT THE TEACHER
WOULD SEND.
WOULD SEND. THAT THE THERAPIST WOULD SEND
DIFFERENT EXERCISES AND THINGS
TO DO.
TO DO.
TO DO. NONE OF THAT IS REALISTIC FOR
WHAT OUR WORLD IS.
YOU CAN SEE THAT TECHNOLOGY IS
NOT AWESOME BECAUSE IT IS MORE
OF A ATTENTIONAL TOOLED IN A
WORK TOOL.
WORK TOOL. AND THEN TRYING TO COMMUNICATE
WITH THOSE SPECIALIST AND
THERAPIST VIA ZOOM OR EMAIL
JUST ISN'T ENOUGH FOR HER.
IT ISN'T GOING TO CUT IT.>>>
REGRESSION.
REGRESSION. IT IS ALWAYS OUR FEAR WITH OUR
KIDS.
KIDS.
KIDS. SHE
KIDS. SHE LEARNS A SKILL.
IT CAN BE THERE ONE DAY AND
GONE THE NEXT.
WITHOUT SOMEONE WORKING WITH
HER ALL THE TIME WE JUST DON'T
KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO STICK AND
WHAT IS NOT.
AND WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE
GOING TO BE LOST.>>> WE REACHED
OUT TO SEVERAL LOCAL DISTRICTS
INCLUDING SALEM KAISER.
CLACKAMAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
WHERE CAROLINE GOALS.
IMPORTANT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
TABER SPHERES ARE CORRECT.
NONE OF THEM SAID THEY WILL BE
DOING IN PERSON LEARNING FOR
KIDS LIKE SARAH IN ANY CAPACITY
ANYTIME SOON.
ANYTIME SOON. JUST CITING FEARS OF THE
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC. PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS SAID
THEY WILL DO IT WHEN IT IS SAFE
BUT THEY CAN'T TELL US WHEN
THAT MIGHT BE.
WE REACHED OUT TO THE STATE AND
OFFICIALS WITH THE DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION SAVE A STANDBY
THEIR GUIDANCE.
THEIR GUIDANCE. TABER AGAIN SAID ONLINE
LEARNING CANNOT WORK