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Recommendations for children and adolescents with Special Educational Needs during the pandemic

Girl with down syndrome showing her hands with different colour paintings
What supports are available for those with Special Educational Needs? What happens when there is a lockdown? Who should you contact in case of queries or complaints? Find out more in this booklet which MICARE has joined.

By Gabriela Campillo.


In the context of the COVID-19 health emergency and remote classes, a series of doubts have arisen regarding the support required by children and adolescents with Special Educational Needs (SEN).

For this reason, MICARE joined this initiative, which is part of the Intersectoral Working Group comprising the Undersecretaries of Social Services and Childhood of the Ministry of Social Development and Family, the Ministry of Education, SENADIS, UNICEF, the UC Center for Educational Justice, and our MICARE Institute.

Support for children and adolescents with Special Educational Needs during the pandemic:

– Educational establishments with School Integration Programs (PIE, for its acronym in Spanish) and special schools that receive subsidies must plan a distance education strategy during the pandemic.

– If the school resumes in-person classes, it is up to the parents to decide whether or not to send their children.

– The use of cameras in virtual classrooms is always voluntary.

– If lockdowns return, there is a permit at the Virtual Police Station for children and adolescents to attend PIE evaluations and support, special disability schools, and special language schools. This permit is included in the “Individual Temporary Permit – application process to the school admission system, collection of food, textbooks and/or technological items”.

– If you have any doubts or if the educational supports are not fulfilled, the Superintendency of Education has three options available in its service channels:

  1. Queries
  2. Mediation
  3. Complaints

You can contact them through their website: https://www.supereduc.cl/ (24/7 assistance), or by calling: 600 3600 390 (Monday to Thursday from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, and Friday until 4:30 pm).