HOUSTON – The disruption in routine made it especially difficult for special education children during the COVID-19 pandemic, experts said. Samantha was diagnosed with special needs in Kindergarten. “She was really impacted at the start of the pandemic because she just didn’t understand what was happening,” said Benitez. “I know she was probably just in her own world, with her imagination and not really fully engaged.”Like many other school districts, Galena Park ISD noticed their special education children needed more support. “For a lot of our students that was a very difficult transition.”Epps has been in education for 25 years and said the special education students returned weeks before others.