Dealing with Quarantine, COVID-19, and Autism!

If you’re sitting at home flicking through Netflix bored during the quarantine, spare a thought for how it’s affecting children with special needs and their parents.

The current COVID-19 pandemic that’s sweeping across the world is forcing people to adapt to an ever–changing set of circumstances. Spare a thought for how the pandemic is affecting people and children with special needs and their families. They are already dealing with unique and challenging situations and now they’ve been made a hundred times worse.

People on the autism spectrum thrive with routines and patterns. The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing people around the world to suddenly start changing their routines and adopt social distancing and stay at home policies. This can throw a family’s routine into absolute chaos.

Specialized therapy schools and regular schools are suddenly closed. Group sessions and therapy closed. Social activities such as meeting friends and playgroups are closed. Occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, group therapy, all closed. Doctors and hospitals are open but should be avoided except for emergencies.

Understandably, this is going to place a huge strain on an already strained family situation. Parents are suddenly responsible for caring for their children 24/7 with no relief or assistance while also trying to manage their professional commitments. Many families around the world are being pushed to the breaking point.

For children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it can be difficult to comprehend why they can’t do the activities that they usually do. There’s no physical reason. You can’t see the virus floating around outside, so telling children they can’t see their friends, family members, or professional and educational providers can be extremely difficult.

One thing that can help is the creating of a quarantine routine. Get it started as early as possible, and it’s important to stick with it. Creating order and structure is important for any child on the autism spectrum. Ensure that you allow yourself some time for relaxation, otherwise, you’ll only end up getting burned out, and that won’t help anyone.