Opening up
BY BEN VERDE
Two East New York educators
have launched a You-
Tube channel to help keep
their special needs students
engaged during remote learning
— and they hope other
students will take advantage
of it.
Speech-language pathologist
Crista Conto and special
education teacher Natalie
Marek launched a video
series called CAN Time in
April to keep their students
at P-53K, who have disabilities
such as Autism and developmental
delays, excited
for school while they learn
from home amid the coronavirus
pandemic.
“We were thinking of creative
ways to get our kids involved
during this remote
learning time,” said Conto of
COURIER L 6 IFE, JUNE 5-11, 2020
CAN Time, which stands for
Cris and Nat Time. “It’s a fun
way for the kids to get involved
and learn something new.”
So far, Conto and Mark
have hosted lessons on important
skills such as following
recipes and identifying
familiar objects in their environment
— while encouraging
kids to have a little fun.
Episodes have included a virtual
trip around the world,
a camping trip, an obstacle
course, and tips on how to use
a schedule at home.
The pair says the videos
P-53K’s Crista Conto and Natalie Marek on a virtual trip around the world. CAN Time
aim to recreate some of the
structure and familiarity
their students have missed
out on since making the
switch to remote learning.
Children with developmental
disabilities thrive under routine,
and to have it abruptly
taken away from them could
result in bad behavior, the educators
said.
“Change does not work
well with them,” said Conto,
noting that the videos allow
students to emerge themselves
in a fun activity that
their parents can join in on,
without placing any onus on
their guardians to facilitate a
fantastical environment.
“Visually, they can actually
see it, as opposed to their
parents trying to communicate
to them ‘oh, let’s just go
camping!’ because that’s very
confusing,” she said.
And families have seized
the opportunity to get in on
the fun, according to Conto
and Marek, who said they’ve
heard from parents who all
sit down together as a family
to watch their new videos
each week.
“Our parents will tell us
it’s become a whole family affair
to watch the new video
each week and to get every
member of the family involved,”
said Marek.
This story is part of an
ongoing series about group
homes on the front lines of the
COVID-19 crisis, and the pandemic’s
impact on those with
developmental disabilities.
Check back each week for the
latest.
East New York educators create
online teaching series for
students with special needs
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