Caring for people with ASD during the coronavirus

If the changes brought on by COVID-19 is especially difficult for "normal" people, what more to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder? People with ASD can lead normal lives as long as there's routine, according to Dr. Curtis Cripe. With many of businesses and institutions caught in a standstill due to the pandemic, these routines that give these persons a degree of functioning have been compromised. Here's advice on how to help people with ASD during this time.

Image source: hopkinsmedicine.org

Image source: cookchildrens.org/

In response to these times, you will need an emergency plan in case the primary caregiver or the person with ASD gets sick. A plan involves a list of contacts and resources. Make sure you attach pictures to this list aside from their numbers and color coding to appeal to someone with ASD.

After making sure you have an emergency plan, you will need to establish a new routine. The routine should share commonalities with their own normal routine while incorporating different sensory and behavioral activities. You should also establish cues about activity times so they can easily pivot and adjust. Your interventions should also involve the physical environment, like putting labels on things and making a space for certain types of activities, adds Dr. Curtis Cripe.

Of course, you should also seek resources and your community online as you push on with your developmental goals with your loved one who has ASD.

Dr. Curtis Cripeis currently working in a White House-NASA committee during the pandemic. His committee has been asked to spearhead long-term and on-going TeleHealth and TeleMedicine protocols and procedures that can be followed during the current and future Pandemics as well as TeleMedicine and TeleHealth even after the COVID-19 diminishes. Dr. Curtis Cripe is a brain development expert and a former engineer at NASA.