Preparing our kids for the new COVID safe Christmas

Christmas brings with it many changes. Despite being a very exciting time of year the upheaval and appearances around the home can cause some stress and this year it's going to be even more different. We won't have lots of people over and the day will be different due to staying safe and COVID-19. So how do we prepare our autistic and neurotypical kids for the changes ahead of them?

Giving our autistic son a COVID19 test

Get tested.

We all know it. But when a child has autism it’s not the easiest thing to do. One day this last week I missed a call from David’s school. I always pick up the voicemails quick.

Getting my autistic kids to be comfortable with face masks

A few months ago I wrote a post about how I talk to my young children about the coronavirus COVID-19 and how do I keep them safe?  It has sparked a few responses particularly as, like myself, many of our readers have children with autism, comorbid conditions or other disabilities and might not be able to wear one. 

How do I help my pre-verbal autistic child during this coronavirus outbreak?

Just a few days ago I wrote a post about how I talk to my young children about the coronavirus COVID-19 and how do I keep them safe?  It's sparked a few responses particularly as, like myself, many of our readers have children with autism, comorbid conditions or other disabilities. For many children, it's about being honest and talking to them at their level.  But how do you help a child who might not understand what's going on never mind what to do about it?

How do I talk to my young children about the Coronavirus COVID-19 and keep them safe?

"Jane have you heard of the Coronavirus?  Do you know anything about it?"

Jane immediately stopped what she was doing.  She came over to me and looked focussed. "Do you mean COVID-19?  That's it's proper name."  It was obvious she was being very serious and knew something about it. So I asked, "What do you know?  Do you want to know anything else about it?"

"I need to stop it spreading."