Will the pandemic slow down autism assessments?

I had to make an appointment with a doctor last week. Anthony's meds means he has to speak to his GP every now and again before his prescription can be renewed.  I'd seen things in the news about the knock-n effects of the COVID-19 pandemic being a delay in people seeking medical attention.  I didn't think it would be so difficult to speak to our GP though.  It took over a week of phoning every day as the surgery opened to try and get one of the daily slots.  Eventually, I got one because we has actually run out of medication.  And I wondered how challenging this might be if it wasn't just our GP we needed to see.

To those flouting the rules during the coronavirus pandemic from a mum with autistic kids

We all know the rules. Just ask my 11 year old autistic son. He loves rules. Rules keep his life in order. Rules keep the world safe; rules keep him safe.  When people don't follow the rules, he worries.  But it's not because of his feelings that I'm asking you to stay home, it's because of our lives.

SEND and SpectrumSunday Lockdown 1 Linky

It's two weeks into the lockdown?  How are you doing? I've been meaning to write a post about how difficult this time is for parents of SEND kids but I've just not managed it. If it's not simple at the moment, I can't fit it in.  

Our TV viewers have turned to Twitch during the coronavirus lockdown

Formula One means so much to my son, it's hard to describe.  When he heard that the Formula One races had been cancelled due to the Coronavirus he honestly cried for an hour, under his covers, telling people to go away and leave him alone.

Dealing with the stress of being stuck at home

The latest government advice recommends a minimum of three weeks of social distancing and self-isolation to tackle the Coronavirus COVID-19 spread. Many families have had to change how they operate - and in a home like ours where routine is king, it can make us stressed and anxious. 

When you have a restricted diet and there is panic buying

Initially it seemed like I just had kids who were fussy eaters.  Anthony stuck with the same brand and flavour of baby food for way longer than most kids ate baby food. We tried plenty, I really wanted to make my own baby mush.. but Anthony would have none of it.

Online educational resources for kids at home

We have the real prospect of being at home.  Over the last school year we've found being able to access ideas for homework or about topics at a level my kids get and understand has been really helpful and we will no doubt be using them a lot over the next while.

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."