Battling Covid-19
As we have all felt the affects of covid-19 on a personal level, some heavier than others, now is a time to reach out to a fellow person or family in need. As many of us know our own struggles some of these situations can be hitting a bit harder on families with individuals on the Autism Spectrum. In this blog I will address some of the difficulties we are facing and hopefully some possible solutions to help ease things a bit.
One of the main things that has put a hinder on the daily flow of life due to covid-19 is virtual appointments and the struggles that come along with them. These appointments can be with doctors, teachers, therapists and really anything under the sun that involves getting onto a platform such as zoom. As we all know this can be very frustrating for ourselves but we must keep an open mind to the fact that it is most likely just as frustrating to the provider, doctor, teacher and so forth. Every one probably feels like a chicken with their head cut off at the moment because it is not what we are accustomed to. We all need to do our best to take a deep breath and understand that adding fuel to the fire is only going to make the experiences worse. We all want answers and in a timely manner. We need to take a step back and know that we are not the only one dealing with the frustration and chaos going on. Tensions are running high all across the board and we all need to do our part to help ease things as best as we possibly can. We can all start by making sure we are familiar with the different platforms we are using rather than waiting till the time of the call to jump on and wing it. All of us that have done this have instantly run into the issues that the program needs to install, then update and then when it finally comes up, we need to figure out what buttons do what. We are already completely frustrated with the call before it has even started. After this we need to do our absolute best to keep patience with the person on the other end, because odds are that they too are going through the exact same struggles as we are.
In the autism community another major struggle is feeling overwhelmed being around household members all the time. As we all know this can get to a person very quickly not feeling like they have any alone time or time to reset themselves. Nobody wants to feel smothered all the time. Unfortunately, with the onset of covid-19 this happens way more often than we would like. If you are feeling this way here are a couple of things you may be able to do. 1) Do your best to find a space in the house that is a calm space for you. This could even be as simple as a closet. This space should be where you can go to get away for a few minutes to allow yourself to reset from things that may be overwhelming you. 2) If you are able to, take walks in areas that not many people are at. This will help you get away from the home setting and get you exercising to help you relieve some of your built-up tension and stress. 3) Change your scenery. This could be as simple as setting up a chair on your back porch or patio.
Wearing a mask with sensory issues can turn into a major problem. We see this on a daily occurrence with endless number of excuses as to why someone feels they shouldn’t have to wear a mask. Bottom line is that we would all be wearing a mask for the safety of ourselves and others when we are within a certain distance. It helps keep everyone protected and helps keep the anxiety that we or others may be feeling. There are some things that can be done to help ease the stress of the discomforts of wearing a mask. 1) Plan ahead to utilize curbside pickup or home delivery services for the things that you need. 2) Experiment with different masks. Pay attention to the materials and designs to see about finding something that fits you more comfortably and eases your tensions. 3) If you are still struggling with feeling smothered, invest in a mask spacer to see if this helps you out. We know nothing is going to be perfect but we can all make attempts to try to find something that is more comfortable to us and help prevent the spreading of the virus.
We have all felt the confusion of conflicting information out there. Let’s face it, everyone is an expert. We suggest making one choice for your informational source and stick to it. The CDC has constantly evolving and updated information every few hours to day by day. It is the source that the government suggests going to for your answers and updates with what is going on around you. One of the worst things we can do is to search around to multiple sources and pick and choose the information we want to fit our mold of what is going on. This can lead to a very dangerous situation for you, your loved ones and the people you encounter each day.
The last topic we will bring up in this blog is missing friends and family. We are all dealing with this in our own way. Not being able to go out like we once were is hard. It makes us feel alone and possibly less loved. There are many ways to keep in touch and in many cases, some have said that being forced to stay home due to covid-19 has helped stay in contact with friends and loved ones better. Some of the easiest ways are through video chats, phone calls, texting and e-mail. We do not have to be in the same room anymore to see their face or hear their voices. In many of our situations we have more time to reach out. Now is the time that we should be doing so. We need each other more than ever. On top of using a phone or a computer we can go back to the old-fashioned mail services. For many of us this is a lost art, the sending of a thank you card or love letter. The reality is that this could be very surprising to the other party and could very well brighten up their day. Even if you do talk to them 38 times a day. It is a very simple gesture, that is not the norm these days, that would go a very long way.
We have given a few examples, but definitely not all, that we are experiencing with the covid-19 pandemic. We want to hear your stories and examples of the things you do to cope or make life easier. Who knows, you might just have the next life changing idea for someone else. Please take the time to share your story regardless of your scenario or situation. We are all in this together. We wish you all well and look forward to hearing your stories.