Special needs · Chronic fatigue, ME/CFS and long COVID
Learning paced to the energy they have
Pencil Spaces helps students with ME/CFS, long COVID and other fatigue conditions learn in short, flexible lessons from home, with recordings and summaries to catch up.
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Area
Physical and medical needs
Who it helps
Students with ME/CFS, long COVID, POTS or other fatigue conditions, home and medical tuition teams, tutors and families
What lessons need
Energy pacing, short lessons, rest, flexibility, learning from a bed or sofa
In Pencil Spaces
8 features available today
Part of
What do students with chronic fatigue need from an online lesson?
Conditions such as ME/CFS and long COVID limit how much energy a student has, and overdoing it can make symptoms worse for days. Learning has to fit within that energy, from wherever the student is most comfortable.
- Learn from a bed or sofaAny Device · AvailableA tablet or phone in the browser is enough, so the student can learn lying down if they need to.
- Short, visible lessonsSession Timer · AvailableA visible countdown shows everyone how long is left, with extra minutes added when a lesson needs them.
- Lessons that moveScheduling · AvailableMove a lesson on a low-energy day, with the link unchanged.
- Less effort on screenChild Mode · AvailableChild Mode cuts the toolbar to five tools and hides the rest, so a tired student has less to look at and find.
- Catch up without the effortSession Recording · AvailableLessons are recorded to the cloud, so students can watch them again in Pencil Spaces and pause or rewind as they need.
- A written recapLesson Summaries · AvailableAn automatic recap of each lesson, with action items, comes in versions for the student, the parent and the tutor.
- Pick up where they left offPersistent Spaces · AvailableEvery board, note and drawing stays in the Space between lessons, so each lesson picks up where the last one ended.
- Low effort to take partChat · AvailableTyping a short answer in chat can take less energy than speaking on camera.
Why can online lessons be hard for students with chronic fatigue?
A standard timetable assumes a steady supply of energy. Students with fatigue conditions don’t have one, and pushing through a full lesson can cost them days.
Screens, noise and talking all use energy. A long video lesson can be one of the most tiring parts of a day.
What does a lesson look like in Pencil Spaces?
A student with ME/CFS has three short lessons a week from the sofa, camera off. They answer in chat and on the board.
On a bad day, the lesson moves, and they watch part of the recording later, when they can. The board waits for them.
Tips for teaching students with chronic fatigue online
- Plan with the student and family around their energy, not the timetable.
- Keep lessons short, and stop before the student is exhausted.
- Make camera and speaking optional.
- Share recordings and summaries, so missed time doesn’t mean missed learning.
- Count rest as part of the plan, not a failure.
Questions people ask
Can students with ME/CFS learn online?
Many can, with short, flexible lessons paced to their energy. In Pencil Spaces, students join from a tablet or phone, even lying down, and answer in chat or on the board. They catch up later with recordings and summaries.
How long should lessons be for a student with chronic fatigue?
As long as the student can manage without crashing afterwards, which is often much shorter than a school lesson. Agree it with the family and any medical team, and use a visible timer to stick to it.
Does the student need their camera on?
No. Ask the student what feels manageable, then agree it with their family and teacher. Many students with fatigue find camera off and typed answers less tiring, and they still take part on the board.
What if a student misses lessons on bad days?
Move the lesson and keep the same link. If lessons are recorded, the student can watch later, and lesson summaries list what was covered and what comes next.
See it in a live Space.
We’ll walk you through it, shaped around how you teach.
