PEAL’s COVID-19 Resource Page

In response to COVID 19, PEAL is prioritizing health and safety while working to continue to provide information, training and guidance to the families and youth we serve, updating our practices as guidance from the CDC and local health officials dictate. 

Click here for a full list of changes to PEAL services during this time.

We are gathering and organizing information and no-cost resources to post on our website so that they are easily accessible to families. 

In some cases, we will include links to other websites that are being frequently updated so that you can find the most current information. We are including general information about precautions, as well as education and health care resources, such as: 

• Covid-19 and School
• US Government Updates
• PA Government Updates, including county-specific information
• Online educational resources
• Virtual activities to engage children and teens
• Taking care of yourself and your family
• Health Care
• Early Intervention
• Transition
• Assistive Technology
• En Español
• Community Resource Updates

PEAL Webinars

PEAL is also hosting a series of webinars to cover helpful information while students are learning at home and virtually. These will be posted for viewing along with resources here. If you are interested in participating in an upcoming webinar please check out our Event Calendar or our Facebook page. 

COVID-19 and Schools

• COVID-19: Checklists to Guide Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers | CDC
• Resources for School Communities During COVID-19 | PDE
• Frequently Asked Questions about COVID-19 Vaccination in Children | CDC
• COVID-19 Resources for Schools, Students, and Families | USDoE
• COVID-19 Resources for Pre-K to 12 Schools | PDE
• Fact Sheet for Protecting Students’ Civil Rights During COVID-19 Response | USDoE
• Child Care, Schools, and Youth Programs: Plan, Prepare, and Respond |CDC

US Government and National Updates: 

Compiled important updates, as new information and instructions progress. 

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) | CDC (Available in English, simplified Chinese, and Spanish)
• ASL COVID-19 Video Series | CDC
• Benefits of Clear Face Masks
• Medicaid Updates 

Pennsylvania Updates: 

Stay up to date on the latest developments through reliable sources. 

• Bureau of Special Education (BSE)
• Office of Developmental Programs 
• Pennsylvania Department of Health
• Pennsylvania Department of Education 
• Pennsylvania PBS
• PDE Frequently Asked Questions
• PA COVID-19 Resources from United Way of Pennsylvania

Online Education Resources: 

Unlock a variety of online educational resources your family can access virtually. 

• Online and Hybrid Learning: An Equity Checklist for Schools
• Learning at Home with Pennsylvania Public Television: PA Public Television, working with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, have created Learning at Home, your connection to thousands of hours of educational and entertaining videos, activities and games to support you.
• National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) COVID-19 Resources for Supporting Students with Disabilities
• Virtual IEP Meeting Tip Sheets
• Accessible Remote Learning- How to Provide Essential Learning Supports from Anywhere on Don Johnston Human Learning Tools
• Free, Easy Science for Remote Learning on Mystery Science
• Parent Resources for Education: School Closures due to COVID-19 Created by the Reading League Pennsylvania
• Sample Schedule
• From Khan Academy: Sample schedules for different Age Groups 
• OCR Short Webinar on Online Education and Website Accessibility
• Morning P.E. Class for kids–Youtube
• Find resources for at home learning by subject matter
• 50 Online Art and Music Resources to Help Kids Learn and Create from Home
• Heinz History Center’s History At Home
• Executive Function Free Resources
• Gameschooling 101: How to Homeschool with Fantastic Games
• Reading Tip Sheets for Parents (available in thirteen languages)
• Way to do Live Communication Captioning UPMC

Virtual Things to Do – museums, field trips, and read aloud:

Keep your children engaged in entertaining ways and learn through a wide range of virtual activities everyone can explore. 

• Storyline Online: stream videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Readers include Viola Davis, Chris Pine, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening, James Earl Jones, Betty White and dozens more. 
• 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch 
• National Museum of Natural History Virtual Tours  
• Virtual Field Trips
• These zoos and aquariums are live-streaming animals for people to enjoy during coronavirus isolation
• Children’s Authors Doing Online Read Alouds & Activities
• 12 Art Lessons on Youtube your Kiddos will love!
• Children’s Stories in Spanish
• Amazon Unlocks Batch of Kids’ Shows Free to Stream for All Customers
• Chatter Pack offers a list of free, online, boredom-busting resources! Including virtual tours, online learning, geography and nature, music, arts and culture, literature, and more!
• 30 Creative Activities for Kids
• Brain Breaks
• Accessible Chef is a collection of free visual recipes and other resources to help teach cooking skills to individuals with disabilities.

Taking care of yourself and your family:

Access useful tools and strategies to navigate day to day activities while maintaining balance.

• 8 Tips Parents Want to Share As You Help Your Child or Young Adult Through Crisis
• Talking to Children About COVID-19 (Coronavirus): A Parent Resource (Available in English, Spanish, Amharic, Chinese, and Korean)
• Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty
• Supporting Kids During the COVID-19 Crisis (Available in English and Spanish)
• PBS’s How to Talk to your Kids about Coronavirus
• Ways to Promote Children’s Resilience to the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Self Care Menu from URMC Behavioral Pediatrics
• Priority for Trauma-Sensitive Remote Learning: Keeping Connections Strong
• COVID-19 Resources from the National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health
• Supporting Teenagers and Young Adults During the Coronavirus Crisis
• CDC Coping with Stress
• Crisis Intervention by County
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) COVID-19 Resource and Information Guide
• Positive Behavior Support at Home Video
• COVID-19 Mental Health Resource Hub

Health Care Service Resources:

Taking Care of Your Family’s Medical and Behavioral Health Care Needs:

• Family Voices Coronavirus Information & Resources
• Safeguard Against Disability Discrimination During COVID-19 Fact Sheet
• Ten COVID-19 Preparations To Do RIGHT NOW for Medically Complex Families
• Supporting Individuals with Autism through Uncertain Times–Toolkit
• Coronavirus Resources from National Health Law Program; includes resources like an Overview on Using Medicaid to Respond to COVID-19 and Ensuring People Have Access to Prescription Drugs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• National Alliance on Mental Health Information and Resource on COVID-19, covering topics like how to manage your anxiety during this time and how to get your medication if quarantined.
• Telemedicine Resources: An Introduction to Health Care through Telemedicine
• Pennsylvania Health Law Project has created two helpful articles about Pennsylvania Health care, COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions and COVID-19 Federal and State Updates.
• COVID-19 Pediatric Healthcare Resources by Category
• Many Immigrants can Get Medical Assistance for Coronavirus Treatment
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak Glossary: This resource provides a description of some key terms used in the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
• COVID-19: Medical Communication Access for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
• Inclusive Dental Provider Directory Please note – most offices have emergency coverage, but the days and times may be limited which is why it is so important to listen to the voice mail.
• Is it OK to call the pediatrician during COVID-19 even if I’m not sure my child or teen is sick?
• Ensuring Support Services for Youth With Disabilities & Special Health Care Needs Amid COVID-19
• The US Department of Labor has clarified that parents of adult children who have lost their usual source of care due to COVID-19 may receive Paid Leave to stay home to care for their adult children just as parents of children up to age 18 may stay home to care for their child who has lost their usual source of care due to school or childcare closings or inability of childcare providers to come to the home to care for their child.  The US Department of Labor has finally determined that the definition of “son or daughter” for the new program should be consistent with that of the existing Family and Medical Leave Act, which “expressly includes children 18 years of age or older and incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability.”

Early Intervention Resources:

Guiding Families with Helpful Information

• Early Intervention Technical Assistance Portal: Resources to Support EI Work During COVID-19 
• Tele-Intervention Job Aid: Pennsylvania has approved the temporary provision of EI Infant -Toddler service delivery via Tele-Intervention 
• ECTA (Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center) Remote Service Delivery and Distance Learning
• Early Intervention Technical Assistance Portal Supporting Families During COVID-19

Transition and Youth Resources:

How to Support Students Transitioning During Covid-19

• Youth Summer Activities 2020
• Graduation 2020 and the COVID-19
• Studying at home due to coronavirus? This is how young people around the world are keeping their mood up  
• How To Cope With Stress Related To Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19): Information For Young People Affected By Stress Related To Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) 
• High School Halt: Ways to Support Youth Working on Adult Life Plans During the School Shutdown 
• RAISE The Standard Newsletter: Hunkering Down for COVID-19
• The Arc’s COVID-19 Resources for Self-Advocates

Assistive Technology Resources:

Resources if you are considering using Assistive Technology in the home. 

• Family Resources for Complex Learners: Assistive Technology and Communication

• Resources for Access and Distance Education from National Center on Accessible Educational Materials

• TechOWL PA (Pennsylvania’s Assistive Technology Act Program)
• Assistive Technology Resources

En Español  

• Como hablar con tus hijos sobre el Coronavirus
• Cero a Tres: las primeras conexiones duran toda una vida
• Recursos de Duelo
• CONOZCA SUS DERECHOS ¡Preserve su seguridad!

Community Updates: How you can help?

Get involved in helping your community in constructive ways, this can include practicing social distancing, donating food, or sharing resources to those in-need.  

• Social Distancing: What does it Mean? (Available in English and Spanish)
• Donate to your local food bank
• 7 Ways to Support the Small Businesses in Your Community During the Coronavirus Crisis
• Information for Pennsylvania Employees Impacted by COVID-19
• Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank SNAP Department will take SNAP applications over the phone our call in is 1-833-822-SNAP or text SNAPPA to 555-888. For more information about services from the Food Bank or how you can help go here.
• ChildLine
• Domestic Violence Information from Women’s Law Project
• Free pregnancy, baby, and toddler support during COVID-19
• Immigrant Eligibility for Public Programs During COVID-19

Important Phone Resources:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
• Nacional de Prevención del Suicidio: 1-888-628-9454
• Crisis Text Line: Text “PA” to 741-741
• Veteran Crisis Line: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
• Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990
• Get Help Now Hotline (for substance use disorders): 1-800-662-4357
• Pennsylvania Sexual Assault Helpline: 1-888-772-7227
• National Domestic Violence Helpline: 1-800-799-7233
• PA Statewide Support and Referral Helpline: 1-855-284-2494