Kevin Tobuck has Cerebral palsy, and before the pandemic, he received vision, speech, physical, and occupational therapy at his Staten Island school. 

"He needs tactile help. Teletherapy is an epic fail for him. I understand it helps other people. Kevin requires full therapy. He used to walk pretty much no problem. Now I’m using a stroller because he just doesn’t have the endurance," said his mom, KellyAnne Tobuck.

What You Need To Know


  • A state executive order allows cities to provide instruction and therapy for students with disabilities in person this summer.

  • Some parents say the city should open schools up to their students, who they say have regressed without therapy.

  • For now, the city plans to offer those services remotely through teletherapy.

  • Many parents of students with disabilities say their kids have regressed without the in-person help the city provided before the COVID-19 crisis erupted.

Many parents of students with disabilities say their kids have regressed without the in-person help the city provided before the COVID-19 crisis erupted.

Susan Pugliese, whose two daughters have autism, organized a rally urging the city to offer in-school instruction and therapy this summer. She points to enrichment centers that have been providing in-person instruction to children of essential workers.

"There’s never been an issue with COVID in any of them. If they can do that, why can’t they take the children who need the most?" Pugliese said.

After the rally, Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza tweeted: "So with all the shifting knowledge of how this virus is spreading ... we now want to experiment with our most vulnerable students...Hmmm."
 

 

"We’re not experimenting on anything, and if we felt it was a danger to send our kids back to our schools, we wouldn't," Pugliese said.

Carranza followed up with more measured statements saying the department would provide services as soon as safely possible.
But not every parent wants a return to school. Grisel Cardona has two special needs sons and says she wouldn't feel safe sending them back to class.

“For me, before anything, health and safety is number one, before services. Because if my child is not feeling well and my child can’t even get up out of bed to do a service, then why am I pushing for it?" Cardona said.

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Cardona questioned how social distancing could be achieved in District 75, which serves the highest-needs students. 

"There’s some kids who want to be carried, there’s some kids who bite, spit. So with District 75, there’s no such thing as social distancing. They need that one-on-one contact," Cardona said.

Other parents say the risk of their children's regression outweighs concerns about the virus.

"I’ll sign a waiver, I’ll sign whatever it is they want. I’m not going to sue them — I will if this doesn’t stop. But for now, just let them go to school. Let them be kids," Tobuck said.

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