LEXINGTON — Dairia Edmunds has become a “homeschool mom” due to closures caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
Instead of getting her two sons off to school each morning, she’s starting her days doing something rather unconventional. She’s building obstacle courses.
“We create obstacle courses in the house, obstacle courses outside,” Edmunds said. “It’s obstacle courses all day, every day.”
Whether it’s army-crawling through a tunnel of couch cushions or riding a scooter through wavy lines in the driveway, Edmunds said the obstacle courses provide crucial movement and sensory stimulation for her son Braxton, who is on the autism spectrum.
Meeting Braxton’s sensory needs has been essential to helping him manage the abrupt shift from a routine of preschool and specialized therapies to spending all of his time at home.
At school, Braxton likes to calm down in the sensory room. Edmunds improvised and made a sensory area at home with rocking and bean bag chairs, a mini trampoline and weighted stuffed animals.
For kids like Braxton who are sensory seekers, Edmunds recommends giving tight bear hugs or having them hold a heavy object like a basket of laundry to help calm them.
“Lots of our kids who are on the autism spectrum have a variety of sensory needs or sensory challenges,” said Dr. Jessica Foster, director of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Akron Children’s Hospital. “We see lots of kids who need a lot of movement or need a lot of physical input in order to feel more calm.”
“When you don’t have that ability to kind of get out that energy, you’re going to feel restless and disrupted inside and because of that you’re not going to be at your best when it’s time to sit and focus.”
Meeting sensory needs is just one way that parents can help their children adjust to a new normal. Changes in routine can be especially difficult for children on the spectrum, so Foster recommended setting a predictable routine that can be followed at home.
She also advised writing out the routines on a daily calendar, with words or pictures that can help the child understand what to expect that day.
This tool is working well for Gabby Smith, a Madison resident and mother of three.
Smith’s son, Rowen, hasn’t been able to attend preschool or his sessions at the Silver Linings Group for a few weeks due to social distancing guidelines.
After schools were closed, Smith made a daily schedule that spans the length of a typical school day, with designated times for meals, schoolwork, breaks and exercise.
Five-year-old Rowen has adjusted to the change, but it took time.
“The first few days were a little bit rough,” Smith recalled. “I knew he didn’t understand why he wasn’t getting on the bus.
“He asks every morning if he’s going to school that day. He keeps asking for the regular people in his life. We’re trying to get by with FaceTime.”
Missing out on school and therapy has been jarring for many families. Courtney Willis’ son, Benjamin, typically receives weekly speech and occupational therapy in addition to in-home therapy sessions. When those therapies were put on hold, the two-year-old began throwing tantrums and having rocking fits.
“It didn’t go over too well the first two weeks,” Willis said. “Now we’ve kind of gotten a schedule down. We’re still getting used to doing all the therapies over Zoom.”
Teachers and therapy providers alike have turned to video-conferencing methods in an effort to keep things as normal as possible for children they serve. They’re also providing advice for how parents can continue working with their children at home.
“These kids and families really lean heavily on resources through our school districts, therapy providers, counselors and behavioral therapists,” Foster said. “All of the professionals are doing their best to stay connected with families online, but it’s not the same.
“There really are some enormous gaps.”
Willis spends time each day helping Benjamin practice his speech and helping him overcome sensory sensitivities by exposing him to different textures, like finger paints and Play-Doh.
She’s also found ways to connect with other moms and autism specialists online through Facebook groups like Special Wants.
“This is a disorder that they’re still learning about, so it’s really neat to get on there and connect with other parents because we’re all going through the same thing,” Willis said.
Staying connected is essential for parents’ wellbeing, whether or not they have a child with special needs. Foster encouraged parents to continue reaching out to friends and service providers, whether it’s through a video conferencing platform or a good old-fashioned phone call.
Lastly, she reminded parents to give themselves some grace.
“Be forgiving to yourself,” she said. “All of us, including parents, are coping with enormous change in our own lives, so don’t be so hard on yourself. Maybe you didn’t make it quite through everything that school wanted you to do that day and that’s okay.”
