With school going remote for a while due to COVID-19, educators who work with students with disabilities have been trying to address challenges in reaching them.

Although missing out on school has added pressure on staff, students and their families at the YALE School — short for Young Adolescents Learning Experience — they said they’re making the best of the situation and finding ways to stay connected and up to date on schoolwork.

With campuses in Medford and Evesham, and other nearby towns like Voorhees and Cherry Hill, YALE specializes in teaching children and young adults from ages 5 to 21 with social learning disabilities such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and anxiety disorders.

“It’s a difficult situation everyone’s in, but parents are doing an amazing job communicating, assisting kids, and allowing us in their home,” said Tara Copskey, principal of the Cherry Hill campus. “We’re expecting a lot — any given time, two or three teachers could be calling a student. For working families, that’s a lot.”

“There’s no handbook for a situation like this,” Copskey said. “I have to give credit to the staff and everyone supporting these kids. Teachers can create virtual field trips, have Google meets and talk about what they learned. Kids are craving conversation and social interaction. They’ll read four pages, then sign on to Google Meets and we’ll talk about them.”

Much of the instruction at YALE, like at most schools, is taking place over Google platforms like Hangouts and Classroom.

“Right before this happened, we were piloting Google Classroom for over a year to see how our population would react,” said Jason James, the school’s technology and curriculum coordinator. “It went well. I proposed to launch it schoolwide, and I was finishing the proposal when I got a call about remote learning.”

“As a tech guy, it’s a little bit of my worst nightmare. I was wondering, will it work? Will it crash?” he said. “But the first two days we saw content going out, the issues were minor. It’s a stressful time, but the amount of time you see teachers working is phenomenal.”

Among the YALE students adjusting to this change is Blake Montemurro, a third-grader from Mount Laurel.

“I was terrified at first,” said his mother, Nicole Mercado, fearing Blake might lose some progress he had made in school. “My son was nonverbal until the age of 6 1/2. He’s a whole new kid now. The school is a blessing.”

She said teachers have been getting creative to keep kids engaged. Blake’s teachers and friends even had a Google Meet for his birthday a couple of weeks ago, Mercado said.

“They made it so that my son was comfortable and he’s engaged. They’re always checking in and calling to talk so they can read together. It’s not just ‘look at a screen and fill out a whole bunch of work.’ They send home packets, the gym teacher is doing videos with Kidz Bop music, teachers are taping lessons outdoors.”

Even Blake’s occupational and physical therapists have been able to track some of his progress. Mercado recalled that they sent her exercises to help Blake avoid walking on his toes too much.

“We’re able to say what’s going on, and they respond the same day with something that may help him,” she said.

Remote instruction has also required some flexibility, meaning neither students nor teachers always work regular hours like theywould in person.

“We found out parents can’t always sit down from 8 to 3,” James said. “There are jobs and other siblings to take care of. Some kids start at 5 when their parents get home.”

“We always promote flexibility,” he said. “People ask if they can log on at 5, 6 or 7. Our answer is always, ‘Of course.’ ”

While it’s a difficult transition for students to make as they break their normal routine, James said the school has been able to replicate a lot of experiences.

“Playing guitar, singing, circle time, singing days of the week, counting, singing along — that right there is something they can still do every day, just through the computer,” he said.

Copskey added, “It’s not an easy task when you go from being in a classroom to sitting at your dining room table and meeting parents if they’re available at the time. Everyone’s navigating a new normal, and I have great admiration for the parents.”