Helping special needs children in pandemic

Transcript

Whether your child is heading back to school or learning from home, the uncertainty of this fall has the power to make this pandemic even harder, especially for children with special needs.

Health professionals have some tips that can help getting special needs children through the pandemic.

It’s easier said than done but structured during this pandemic is important for everyone.

Nicole Hendrix is a psychologist with the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Marcus Autism Center.

She says from masks to social distancing, knowing what to expect when starting back to school can help.

She says practicing those measures with your child at home can help them become more familiar with them.

So it’s not so much of the shift when they have to do it in public.

Cheryl Klamain also of the Marcus Autism Center suggests finding a mask to match their interests.

Klamain says sometimes the fabric can be too scratchy or soft.

Or sometimes the mask can be too big or tight.

And that finding the right match for your child may take some trial and error.

Klamain says sometimes gradually working children up to wearing it longer can also help them get used to it.

Something else to keep in mind, masks hide the face, with those visual cues facial expressions it may be harder for children to understand language and emotion.

And to parents everywhere they say don’t forget to give yourself some grace.

Posted – 8.18.20