As schools scrambled to deliver special education services in an online format during the early months of the pandemic, students with disabilities faced unique challenges. But many special education students lost more than classroom time and educational services; they also lost social opportunities.

Indiana is scrambling to correct a longstanding violation of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and it plans to stop issuing emergency permits for special education teachers in less than nine months.

Indiana lawmakers worry the state’s rush to end emergency permits for special education teachers will leave schools with unfilled positions to help students with disabilities.

Indiana issued thousands of emergency special education teaching permits in violation of federal law over the last four years. But the fix could make the teacher shortage worse.

The federal government recently dismissed an investigation into the Indiana Department of Education. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights earlier this year opened an investigation citing “disturbing reports” from parents of students with disabilities who said their children were forced into “one size fits all” remote learning programs.

The total number of Individualized Education Program evaluations completed in the 2019-20 school year — just more than 25,000 — dropped by about 16% compared to the 2018-19 school year, when nearly 30,000 evaluations were completed. The total number of evaluations initiated also dropped by about 13% over that period.

The number of Indiana students enrolled in programs for disabilities declined this school year, the first dip in at least four years and the latest sign of the disruption caused by the pandemic. About 14,000 preschoolers had diagnosed disabilities, down more than 11%.

Indiana is the only state in the region with no plans for when teachers will become widely eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, but the state's health commissioner says a specific group of special educators should get their shots now.

The U.S. Department of Education said in a letter sent to the state last week that it's "troubled" by reports of parents filing multiple complaints that their students have been forced into virtual learning plans that don't address their unique needs.

For special education students and their families, finding the right materials and support in schools can be difficult, but the pandemic is forcing schools to rethink what learning looks like -- and how it's delivered.