DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE “LONG COVID”—fatigue, headaches, brain fog? The US Department of Education says schools may be required to accommodate your child.
By Kathy L. Reiner, MPH, BA, BSN, RN, AE-C, FNASN; Healthy Schools Network Board Member
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights issued a fact sheet, Long COVID under Section 504 and the IDEA: A Resource to Support Children, Students, Educators, Schools, Service Providers, and Families, “to provide information about long COVID as a disability” and to clarify that students experiencing long COVID may be eligible for special education and related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or protections and services under Section 504 (U.S. Department of Education [USDE], 2023).
While COVID-19 is no longer considered a public health emergency, acute infections and long-term impairments are still occurring. Studies have identified common long-term health effects of long COVID in children older than 5 that may result in a disability under IDEA or Section 504 (e.g. lack of concentration, memory impairment, difficulty processing information). A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association/Pediatrics (Gross, et al., 2025) identified similar, albeit unique symptoms among infants and children younger than 5 with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
IDEA is a federal law that requires public schools to make a free and appropriate education available to all eligible children with disabilities [USDE]. IDEA defines a child with a disability as
Child with a disability means a child evaluated in accordance with §§300.304 through 300.311 as having an intellectual disability, a hearing impairment (including deafness), a speech or language impairment, a visual impairment (including blindness), a serious emotional disturbance (referred to in this part as “emotional disturbance”), an orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, an other health impairment, a specific learning disability, deaf-blindness, or multiple disabilities, and who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services (USDE, 2018).
In general, to be eligible under IDEA, the disability must adversely impact the child’s educational performance. As an example: if a student is found to be eligible due to symptoms such as lack of concentration or anxiety due to long COVID, they may need modifications in the curriculum to improve academic engagement, counseling to address anxiety, or interventions to promote on-task behavior (USDE, 2023).
Section 504 is a federal law that prohibits disability discrimination and ensures that students with disabilities have equal access to educational opportunities. A key difference between IDEA and section 504 is that the student does not need to be substantially limited in their learning to be eligible for protection and services under Section 504 (USDE, 2023). Under Section 504, “a child has a disability if they: (1) have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity; (2) have a record of such an impairment; or (3) are regarded as having such an impairment” (USDE, 2023). A major life activity could include difficulty breathing or autoimmune conditions. Accommodations could include use of an elevator or reduced demands during physical activity (Kennedy Krieger, 2021)
School nurses, parents, and teachers should be vigilant when assessing a student who exhibits health issues associated with long COVID and work within their school team to determine whether the student is eligible for services under IDEA or accommodations under Section 504 (Roesler, 2021). Planning now will help the student’s progress and ease the family’s peace of mind.
Notes
Buonsenso, D., Pujol, F. E., Munblit, D., Pata, D., McFarland, S., & Simpson, F. K. (2022). Clinical Characteristics, Activity Levels and Mental Health Problems in Children with Long Coronavirus Disease: A Survey of 510 Children. Future Microbiology, 17(8), 577–588. https://doi.org/10.2217/fmb-2021-0285
Gross RS, Thaweethai T, Salisbury AL, et al. (2025). Characterizing Long COVID Symptoms During Early Childhood. JAMA Pediatr. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.1066
Kennedy Krieger. (2021). Supporting a student with long-covid. Long COVID-10 as a Disability. https://www.kennedykrieger.org/sites/default/files/library/documents/community/specialized-health-needs-interagency-collaboration-shnic/SHNIC_Supporting%20a%20student%20with%20Long%20COVID_Educators%20.pdf
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. A Long COVID Definition: A Chronic, Systemic Disease State with Profound Consequences. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/27768.
Roesler M, Fato P, Obst B. Long COVID—The New “Invisible” Illness: How School Nurses Can Support the Nursing and Educational Teams for Student Success. NASN School Nurse. 2021;37(2):90-95. doi:10.1177/1942602X211059427
U.S. Department of Education. (2023, August 16). Long Covid under Section 504 and the idea: A resource to support children, students, educators, schools, service providers, and families. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. https://sites.ed.gov/idea/idea-files/long-covid-under-section-504-and-the-idea-a-resource/
U.S. Department of Education. (2018, May 25). Sec. 300.8 child with a disability. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. https://sites.ed.gov/idea
