international trade for cohosting this event. thank you again to the panelists. for those who are still watching, a reminder to wear a mask and get the shot when you are eligible to do so. thank you very much and take care. stay safe. >> thank you. [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2021] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> go to c-span.org/coronavirus for the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic. if you miss our live coverage it is easy to find the latest briefings and the biden administration's response using the interactive gallery of maps to follow cases in the u.s. and worldwide. go to c-span.org/coronavirus. >> middleton high school students competed in the studentcam competition. all month we are featuring the winners. our second prize middle schools winner are dermot and tyler from

eastern middle school in silver spring maryland where c-span is available through comcast. their entry is titled the crisis when a crisis, children with special needs in the pandemic. >> if you are a young child who has a neurological disorder who expects -- affects his speech and that child is sitting in front of a screen and being spoken to but is unable to communicate day after day. these words are spoken by a mom of a special needs student speaking to a board of education in a district that has kept schools fully virtual for over 300 days. her story is not the only one. >> my kindergartner has regressed over the past 10 months. he has adhd. he is not going to sit still in front of a computer. >> he is refusing to work or do any of the materials. >> virtual therapies are not working and we are seeing regression. >> it is very hard for someone

who does not understand. she wants her routine back. >> he is missing the face-to-face interaction. >> or the three months of distance learning, which has been a disaster. >> we talk about the need for early intervention and children are not going -- going on a year with that. [indiscernible] >> across the world many children with special needs are in distress. by the time the coronavirus pandemic ends, many will be out of school for some period of time and will have reduced hours of learning. on facebook and other social media, at virtual town halls with local and state officials, many parents have shared stories

of children losing skills, turning away from learning and experiencing mental health breakdowns. >> parents are frustrated because they see their kids regressing academically and emotionally. and the kid show a lot of frustration, show a lot of anger or sadness. >> some of the families are -- this family has a mild form of artisan. he started kindergarten the fall. >> in this pandemic, you really see the difficulties that there are four children on the spectrum. >> he got so frustrated that he would start hitting and biting because he did not understand how to connect on a personal level. >> in total about 14% of

children in the u.s. you special education services. in the americans -- today, we take it for granted that children of all abilities can be in the same classroom. it was not always that way. before 1975, many children with disabilities were marginalized and sent away. this is not only bad for their future but bad for their society. the idea behind the ada and i.d.e.a is about potential because everybody has the opportunity to achieve their full potential. >> the ada is one of the most compassionate and successful civil rights laws in american history. >> some of our most subreddit scholars, actors, and athletes are people who think and get around differently. >> coronavirus turned everything upside down. therapy is do not translate --

therapies do not translate well. >> right now distance learning is not really fulfilling the promises of i.d.ea. and kids are struggling, and are not reaching their full potential. >> president biden has pledged strong enteral coordination for the safe reopening of schools. as part of longer-term plans he has called for historic increases in funding. >> we will make sure that students with disabilities will have the support to succeed by fully funding the individuals with dissident -- with disabilities education act. >> he has promised this within 10 years of him taking office but many argue that that is too late and special needs students need help right now. margaret hassan has called for dedicated funding. >> under it, students who experience disabilities have a right to access the same educational opportunities. >> amidst the chaos in

washington, funding never materialized. but now that vaccinations are underway, disability rights groups are asking for more. while distance learning has been a catastrophe for many special-needs students, there are some zoo man -- some who manage to do a ko better. gabby is a high school student and this is the 307th day since she has been an in-person school. >> i think we are in a holding pattern, but i think the softer skills of adapting to changes that has been useful, and advanced computer skills, that is fortunate. i know that not everybody has that experience. >> some of her classmates have not returned since the beginning of the semester. gabby is very social and while she has managed to keep up with her friends through social media and online chats, she says it is

not the same as in-person schools. >> i miss my community. >> she cannot wait to get back. >> our winning entries are available online at studentcam.org. >> the house subcommittee is looking into voting access in america. we will have live coverage as a house administration subcommittee on elections shares ideas on how to ensure free and fair elections starting live at noon eastern on c-span. coming up in a moment a discussion on election security from "washington journal." also, providing support for immigrant families, the urban institute will host that discussion starting at 3:30 eastern on c-span. both events are live online at c-span.org or you can listen with the free radio app. ntinues. host: joining us this morning is aaron rb