Although the pandemic may have appeared to be simmering down in some states, we are approaching a second wave as we near cold and flu season and the cold and dry weather conditions. The Washington Post observed that “for the first time since August, the country’s seven-day average of new cases topped 50,000.” According to their data, “more than 20 states have hit a new high in their seven-day average of reported case counts, and more than half of those states set records again Tuesday [the 13^th]”. Illinois (+37%) and Indiana (+36%) are among a few of the midwestern states experiencing these high numbers. On the east coast, Pennsylvania (+24%), New Jersey (+26%), and Connecticut (+36%) are as well.

Current Obstacles

School districts nation-wide are facing staffing issues (for administration, teachers, substitutes, even school bus drivers) and struggling to keep facilities open due to outbreaks and quarantine restrictions. In regards to Related Services, staffing Specialist replacements are especially hard. Many school districts who started the fall in-person are now shifting towards half in-school and half remote to mitigate the spread of the virus. Some school districts have gone fully remote to keep cases down.

How Will Things Look as We Approach 2021? 

As was seen with the beginning of the first wave, remote learning and therapy has been a viable option during emergency shut-downs, and in recent school closures. With cold and flu symptoms resembling those of the novel virus, many districts aren’t taking the chance of staying open. Districts have been making adaptations over the last few months to prepare for what is next. Take a moment to reflect on your district’s current and future situation, especially in regard to Related Services. Even with school plans uncertain, at best you can create stability in the area of remote speech therapy with a reliable provider who has been doing this for years prior to COVID-19. Imagine having teletherapy speech therapy being one stable aspect of your district’s plans. Students just sign in on their computer and the rest is taken care of.