The integration and inclusion of learners with learning disorders constitutes a pedagogical challenge for teachers and learners alike. Nevertheless, such inclusion contributes to the development of an inclusive society across multiple domains; therefore, educational leaders and practitioners encourage its implementation through various approaches. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019, the entire educational system transitioned to distance teaching and learning. This major change of the learning environment raised questions regarding the effectiveness of integration and inclusion learners with learning disorders; concerns that engaged educators and inclusion policy leaders worldwide.

This study examined the strategies employed by elementary school teachers during Zoom-based instruction in classrooms that included learners with learning disorders. The core research question addressed whether pedagogical innovation emerged or whether existing teaching strategies were merely adapted to the new learning environment.

Forty-five teachers participated in semi-structured interviews. The primary conclusion drawn from content analysis of the interviews revealed that during Zoom-based instruction, all teachers employed the same teaching strategies they had utilized in face-to-face instruction, though, with adaptations to the online learning environment. For instance, when seeking to promote peer learning through study groups, teachers in traditional school settings would typically divide learners into small working groups, whereas in Zoom sessions, they assigned learners to work in "breakout rooms." In both cases, teachers facilitated autonomous peer learning while simultaneously being able to move between student groups and remain available upon request.

This example, along with similar ones that emerged during the interviews, demonstrated that during online Zoom instruction, teachers employed familiar strategies from in-person teaching while creating adaptations suited to the online learning environment.

Regarding inclusion effectiveness for learners with learning disorders, findings revealed that while most teachers initially feared they would be unable to provide differentiated instruction via Zoom, they discovered that adapting strategies to the online environment actually enhanced the inclusion of all learners. Furthermore, participants’ responses indicated that remedial teaching strategies, conducted individually or in small groups, proved more effective when implemented through Zoom. This improvement was attributed to the elimination of the need to locate quiet spaces for instruction and the absence of situations where teaching a particular group would distract other learners.

The findings illustrate how the COVID-19 crisis became a pedagogical opportunity for inclusion. Thus, the creative adaptation of existing strategies to an online environment not only upheld the principles of inclusion but also enhanced the educational system's ability to address the diverse needs of learners.

Keywords: Inclusion, Learners and teachers, learning disorders, Teaching strategies, On-line learning environment.