Autism In The Time Of Corona

“They had to isolate her so that she would not drive the rest of the madwomen crazy.”
Gabriel García Márquez, Love in the Time of Cholera

This April, which is Autism Awareness Month, I’m wondering how all of the autism families are doing in the midst of this pandemic and quarantine. I hope that everyone is staying safe and healthy. 

And while this virus is very serious, for many of us the more immediate concern is what to do with and for our kids who have autism. How do we keep them busy, engaged, comforted? How do we keep them on schedule – both for learning and the therapies they need, but also for the routines that help keep them on track? How do we maintain and encourage social skills? And how do we get anything else done?

When schools first closed (back when we thought this was going to be a two week thing), I hit the road. I took my kids to a relative’s house in sunny, warm Florida with a salt water pool. I needed to give my kids – my son Christopher, who has autism, especially – something to do. The drive, fresh air and sunshine, and swimming kept the kids busy and gave me a little time to think of a game plan for a longer lockdown.

 

And now that we are back, things are not easy.

I usually have a theme that is centered on autism for my April posts. I had something different in mind for this year, but COVID-19 changed everything. So, I’m putting previous ideas on the backburner to focus on Autism In The Time Of Corona. I don’t want “Autism Awareness” to be pushed aside and forgotten like so many other things have during the pandemic. Because we autism families can’t push it aside and forget it. We need to factor autism into everything we do while we are sheltering-in-place, from how to shop for groceries to how to do online schooling to how to have a moment to, you know, sit down.

So when I say that I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy, I don’t just mean physically. Your mental and emotional health are important too. Staying healthy is tough for autism moms in the best of times. But right now it is more important – and more difficult – than ever.

Want to know what won’t help at all – other parents’ social media posts showcasing their children’s achievements. Do not let the Pinterest-worthy sidewalk art and meticulously charted schedules fill you with despair. (Head over to the memes instead!) Don’t worry about what you can’t do, focus on what you can. And just let the rest go.

Try to find something to look forward to each day, even if you have no idea what day it is – a glass of wine, screaming into a pillow, a TV show with your spouse after getting the kids to bed. {If you opt for the latter, might I suggest Tiger King? Because whatever your day looked like, I’m willing to bet that watching it will make you feel pretty good about yourself.}

 

Even you can do absolutely nothing else:
Love your children. Be kind to yourself. And HANG IN THERE.

And, if like in Love in the Time of Cholera, you’d rather sail up and down a river forever than face real life, at least know that you are not alone. You may feel lonely, but you are not alone.

“He found a glimmer of hope in the ruins of disaster”
Gabriel García Márquez, Love in the Time of Cholera