Inclusion, dyslexia, emotional state and learning: perceptions of ibero-american children with dyslexia and their parents during the COVID-19 lockdown

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed educational processes. This has had major consequences for students and, in particular, for those with special education needs. Dyslexic students suffer from widespread educational and legal invisibility, and information on their situation and that of their families during this health crisis is lacking. This article presents the results of an exploratory study based on two online surveys taken by parents (n = 327) and children with dyslexia (n = 203) through the Spanish Dyslexia Federation (acronym in Spanish 'FEDIS'), the Dyslexia and Family Association (acronym in Spanish 'DISFAM'), and the Ibero-American Organisation for Specific Learning Difficulties (acronym in Spanish 'OIDEA'). Data were collected in May-July 2020. The results offer a comprehensive viewpoint (family and children) on the aspects that have helped and hindered learning, such as teacher and family support, emotional state, use of ICT, and the importance of the voluntary/association network. The study provides evidence of how lockdown and school closures have created additional difficulties for learning but also how certain educational processes have been bolstered with the support of technological resources that should serve as benchmarks for education policy and classroom practice.