Supporting your Autistic child and/or child with ADHD through the COVID-19 pandemic

While the COVID-19 pandemic is scary for everyone, not all people are impacted by the disruptions to daily life equally. Often, ADHD and Autism mean that unexpected changes to routine can cause a lot of stress. We’re thinking about any of you who are impacted right now.

To try and support families, we’ve compiled suggestions and resources developed by experts to support your child through these difficult times and organized them into a few simple tips. Our research tells us that establishing some kind of outline and structure are going to be important through these uncertain times, all the while being flexible with expectations, setting boundaries with news and social media, and being gentle on one another. Please feel free to share additional resources, your own suggestions, or places people can look to for support on Instagram or Facebook.

In short:

1. Be as gentle as you can on yourself and your child.
   
2. Answer questions honestly & reassure your kids that they are safe.
   
3. Use visual tools to explain what’s going on.
   
4. Maintain whatever parts of your daily routine that you can.
   
5. Incorporate your kids’ favourite activities & try out some of the activities that have been developed by educators, authors, and musicians.
   
6. Ask for help.

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