by Michelle Diament | February 25, 2021 Susan Osborn, photographed in May 2020, sits on a bench in Union Point Park in New Bern, N.C., with her son Noah's service dog, Saxby, and her son's favorite toy. At the time, Noah, a 17-year-old with autism and other developmental disabilities, lived in an intermediate care facility. Because … Continue reading Institutions Serving Those With IDD Get New COVID-19 Guidance
Tag: Coronavirus
Concentrating On COVID: The Vaccine
Likely you turn on the TV today and you hear about “the vaccine”. Like the many other orders and guidance from our leaders around the world and the United States, distribution is being done in a varied amount of methods, especially the latter. Furthermore, when you break it down by states, distribution plans are left up to either the state, county or other local governing board. This makes it very complicated and typically doesn’t have the same vaccination hierarchy.
Adulting: Growing and Experiencing Food Opportunities
Incorporating new foods into one’s diet may not be the easiest for both the one caring for the autistic person and the autistic person nor the autistic person themselves. We as autistics carry great worry if we will like it or not and we are totally afraid of whether it will make us institute our gag reflexes if we don’t like it.
Concentrating On COVID: It’s Effecting Everyone
I have found out that I am certainly not the only one experiencing these symptoms. Also, to be included is the autistic, neurodiverse and neurotypical individuals that are suffering because of the prolonged effects of being under the siege of a pandemic.
Adulting: Handling Autistic Shutdown
When a person experiences Autistic Shutdown, the best thing to do is to just let them get the rest they need. We as autistics have just been at times too overstimulated and just need a serious recharge of our inner selves. COVID and all the changes, restrictions that come with it have caused many autistics to experience more periods of autistic shutdown. \
Concentrating On COVID: Zoomed Out
Many have been living in the virtual world in some capacity for almost 11 months now. It is getting to the point that many are virtually exhausted, and while some can excel at this, such as myself. In reality, it can be a detriment to our health, both mental and physical.
Adhering to Abrupt Changes in Routine
Most of 2020 and gearing into 2021 we have had a great deal of change to routine. To the autistic community, this can be perceived as a nightmare. I hear of many individuals and families struggling and not being able to do the things that they can do pre-COVID. It stresses many and leads to autistic burnout, meltdown and shutdown. There are many that learn to adapt, however some have the inability to do that.
Advocates: COVID-19 Relief Leaves Out People With Disabilities
With a $900 billion COVID-19 relief package, Congress yet again denied stimulus payments to some people with disabilities and failed to offer funding for home- and community-based services. Under pressure, federal lawmakers approved the massive stimulus package after much wrangling in late December. The measure includes $600 cash payments for many Americans — including those … Continue reading Advocates: COVID-19 Relief Leaves Out People With Disabilities
Adulting: Loneliness
This week is going to present challenges in attempting to not be lonely and with the onset of Thanksgiving in the US it will be extremely rough because many both on and off the spectrum will for the first time in our lives be experiencing the holiday in a way that we have not been used to. We as a nation and community must persevere and grow and learn from it. Reach out to necessary supports should you need them there’s several of them out there!
Concentrating on COVID: Sudden Change
In these trying times, we must do what we can to not sweat the small stuff and try to manage life to the best of our ability so we can be educated, independent and successful thinkers in the big thing called life.
