COVID-19 and Autism
For many of us, the COVID-19 is a radical change in our routine. We have children home from school. We have had to shift to working at home. We have to livestream church services instead of attending in person. This change in the way things normally are can create anxiety for any of us.
Think of people with autism.
Many people with autism rely on routine. Any break in routine can be very emotionally disturbing. For example, there was a musician who used to visit my daughter’s group home. He played a song without a capo bar that he normally used a capo bar for and it was enough to send our daughter into a meltdown.
While minor changes in routine can be a growing experience for people with autism, major changes are a big problem. A pandemic that leads to a complete shift in what we do and where we do it is a big change.
They are supposed to go to school. They are supposed to sit in a restaurant. They are supposed to go to church.
This is not about people with autism not being able to understand that there is a pandemic, although that may be the case. It goes beyond knowledge. Routine brings order to all of the other chaos in life. Routine is not just enjoyable, it is necessary to make it through the day.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any easy answers. There is nothing we can do to make life go back to normal in the short-term. But we should be aware of the struggles people with autism and those who care for them are going through right now.
In addition, this pandemic is making things more complicated for people like us who have children in group homes. We have been looking forward to seeing our children this week and that is now not going to happen. We miss them and I know they miss us as well.
