Love and Listening: 5 Ideas for Autism Families During COVID-19
Daily routines are the foundation of life in an autism family. With schools closed and COVID-19 “stay-at-home” recommendations in place, those daily routines have been disrupted and children on the spectrum may have trouble coping. For your family’s wellness, here are six suggestions for making things as smooth as possible while you’re spending all your time together under one roof.
1. Let your child know what’s going on: use age- and awareness-appropriate messages to explain why everyone is at home. Something simple like, “There’s a serious flu right now and we have to stay home so we don’t catch it.”
2. Be ready for questions: depending on age and personality of your child, questions may come fast and furious or only occasionally. Be a good listener and answer as honestly as you can. It’s okay to say, “I don’t know the answer to that, but I’ll try to find it.”
3. Make lists to guide behaviour: do “Top 5” healthy habits, including handwashing and keeping hands away from faces. Lists can be fun too, like cookie baking schedules and upcoming movie nights.
4. Stay connected outside your home: use phone calls, emails, video chats and texts to keep in touch with friends and family you would normally share space with.
5. Tenderness goes a long way: the positive thing about isolating together is autism families can enjoy physical contact. Hugs, cuddles and compliments help smooth the bumps of living closely during COVID-19.
At iTraq, the safety of your children is top of mind. We’re on a mission to help families and caregivers keep their loved ones safe with iTraq Nano, our tiny, rechargeable GPS+cellular+WiFi global location device.
iTraq Nano features:
motion sensor to alert you if your family member is on the move
Guard Mode which alerts you if your loved one leaves a designated area
temperature sensor that can protect loved ones from harsh winter weather or extreme heat
SOS button for individuals who become disoriented or confused
works indoors and outdoors, anywhere in the world, for total peace of mind.
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