key: cord-0762890-fhhk2hva
authors: Kong, Michele
title: What COVID-19 means for non-neurotypical children and their families
date: 2020-04-21
journal: Pediatr Res
DOI: 10.1038/s41390-020-0913-7
sha: bfd7fc62b247dc12143715f865f837aeabdde310
doc_id: 762890
cord_uid: fhhk2hva

nan

processing difficulties that can range from discomfort to bright lights and loud noises to disturbed sensitivity to proprioceptive and vestibular inputs that leads to social deficit and isolation. 2 Now, these children and their family, who are already isolated from public life, are being asked to distance themselves even further, potentially heightening and compounding their isolation.

During this time, parents and caregivers must adapt to new roles, reorganize their lives, and learn to cope with the increased care demands. It is important to establish a new home routine. Ensure that the wake and sleep time is consistent. Schedule specific times for schoolwork, meals, play time, and exercise. Keeping a consistent schedule, albeit new and different will become the norm, alleviate anxiety, and help with the adjustment period. Visual daily calendars can be helpful to delineate passing of time, and to aid the child in anticipating the next agenda for the day.

In order to facilitate understanding, it is crucial that caregivers keep the language simple, clear, and concrete. For example, a child with autism is more likely to understand "I am sick" rather than "I am under the weather" or "I caught the virus". Visual cues can be used to teach certain behaviors such as handwashing. Story boards that describe situations or an encounter in a precise and sequential way using simple and literal language can also be used to facilitate communication.

As medical providers and as a community, it is important for us to have an appreciation of the additional challenges that nonneurotypical children and their families face. Even with clinic cancelations and absence of routine visits, it is crucial that we remain connected to them, and for them to know that they are supported. We need to innovate and utilize telemedicine to meet as much of their needs as we can. For parents, they need to know that they are not alone in this fight. The human spirit is resilient, and if we are ready to forgive ourselves for imperfect days, and soldier on, we will arrive at the end whole.

Competing interests: The author declares no competing interests.

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The everyday routines of families of children with autism examining the impact of sensory processing difficulties on the family

Toward an interdisciplinary approach to understanding sensory function in autism spectrum disorder

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