Special education teachers play an integral role in the lives of students with autism spectrum disorder. During the COVID-19 pandemic, their skills were required as online teaching?necessitated new technology and strategies to aid students on a spectrum and often display symptoms affecting their school success. This study explored how high school special education teachers prepared for their students with autism spectrum disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic and the teachers' understanding of students with autism spectrum disorder needs during virtual learning. Lev Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, with emphasis on the more knowledgeable other, was employed. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews for this qualitative phenomenological study. Six participants from a Facebook group were interviewed about their challenges when teaching students with autism spectrum disorder and what their school districts can do while transferring them online in times of medical disasters similar to the COVID-19 pandemic. A thematic analysis of the transcripts revealed three themes: a) working with technology, b) lack of motivation, and c) professional development. The findings provided recommendations for teachers and district administrators regarding practice with students and teachers. The study provides insights for future research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]