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On #WorldAutismAwarenessDay 
- a thread on some of my observations of the impact #COVIDー19 is having on my daughter and me as an Autism Dad.
1. While social distancing creates conditions of isolation some people with autism find comforting- it also obliterates routine.
- a thread on some of my observations of the impact #COVIDー19 is having on my daughter and me as an Autism Dad.1. While social distancing creates conditions of isolation some people with autism find comforting- it also obliterates routine.
The "stay at home" measures create anxiety in neurotypicals. In people with autism, routines are removed and support structures that become part of the fabric of life are eliminated or severely altered. This makes social distancing difficult and heightens anxiety.
2. Homeschooling is hard on everyone. We are all learning how overwhelmingly underpaid teachers are.
But for autism parents- it's uniquely challenging. It is difficult to replicate the types of curriculum in most individual education plans outside the school setting...
But for autism parents- it's uniquely challenging. It is difficult to replicate the types of curriculum in most individual education plans outside the school setting...
It's impossible to replicate the value of the social piece of the school setting on development of children with autism.
The demand is even harder on single/shared custody parents (me) -- because as much as you try to streamline routines you really cant.
The demand is even harder on single/shared custody parents (me) -- because as much as you try to streamline routines you really cant.
The impact on children with autism varies from child to child. If you've met one child with autism, you've met one child with autism.
But for my Lizzie, it's been brutal b/c she had finally gotten comfortable in school, learned names of classmates, etc. Now that routine is gone
But for my Lizzie, it's been brutal b/c she had finally gotten comfortable in school, learned names of classmates, etc. Now that routine is gone
Lizzie is also very "black and white";-- which means it's hard for her to take instructions from me: yesterday, she pointed and said "not the teacher, you're the Daddy." She doesn't understand that I am having to fill both roles.
4. The lost therapy time: whether it is ABA, speech, OT- all of the above-- is nothing short of devastating. For younger children with autism, the ages of 4-10 or so are so vital developmentally. Every lost day of therapy (impossible with social distancing) risks regression.
Lizzie had learned to spell and write her name in January. Now she can spell it but she tried to write it yesterday. Without therapy daily, she couldn't anymore, despite our home practice. She threw the pencil and cried under the bed for 1 hour. As a parent-you feel helpless.
5. The other impact is systemic: #COVIDー19 has shut down universities, by and large. Autism research is stalled or stymied. Case studies- a key component of research- eliminated due to social distancing measures. Impossible to gauge that impact long-term.
In the end, children with autism and other neurodiverse conditions face unique challenges in the time of #COVIDー19. We need acceptance and understanding on #WorldAutismAwarenessDay more than ever-- we also need people to ask questions and get educated.
more than ever-- we also need people to ask questions and get educated.
