While the reality of COVID-19 is tough for many people to process and handle, it’s particularly difficult for autistic children and adults, as well as their caregivers. Fortunately, there are tools and resources available to make it a bit easier to get through stressful and disruptive times.

Why Autistic People Are Likely to Struggle

Almost every aspect of shut-downs and quarantines can undermine the systems that autistic people and their caregivers have set up. For example:

Challenges For Families with Autistic Members

When autistic family members are struggling with stress and anxiety, the people around them are likely to struggle as well. There are several reasons for this.

How to Support An Autistic Loved One

When disruption like the COVID-19 pandemic occurs, it’s up to parents, guardians, and other family members to establish and maintain a lifestyle at home that works—or works enough—for everyone, including their autistic loved one. Here are a few steps to take.

Help Them Understand What’s Going On

Not every autistic child or adult can understand the details of a global viral pandemic, but the vast majority can understand the basics.

COVID-19: Dos and Don’ts for Wearing a Face Mask or Covering

Establish a Routine

Most people, autistic or not, do best with an established routine and schedule, but it can be hard to enforce if it isn’t required for work or school. For autistic people, a routine can mean the difference between a calm, pleasant home life or days filled withemotional meltdownsand outbursts. Routines don’t have to be complex, they just have to be consistent. For example:

Provide Calming Resources

Many autistic people have sensitive sensory systems, and they may need a variety of tools to stay calm. They may also need help in maintaining their emotional center. A few options include:

If you have a school-aged autistic child (under age 22), you have the right to tap into special education resources through your school district. If you are not receiving appropriate support, don’t feel shy about contacting your child’s teacher, principal, or therapists.

Summary

Autistic people and their caregivers are faced with an unusually challenging situation when dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic or similar emergency that disrupts their routine and their goals. There are steps you can take, like creating structure and social stories to explain what’s happening, to help autistic people with these disruptions.

Caregivers may need to take extra steps to ensure their own well-being, whether its a walk to recharge, early morning meditation, asking for help, or doing one’s best to take it easy. COVID-19 has presented a number of challenges, but there are strategies for managing the related changes.

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.

SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Children with autism and COVID-19. UNICEF Serbia.https://www.unicef.org/serbia/en/children-autism-and-covid-19.COVID-19 Resources for Families. National Autism Association.https://nationalautismassociation.org/covid-19-resources-for-families/Hume, K., Waters, V., Sam, A., Steinbrenner, J., Perkins, Y., Dees, B., Tomaszewski, B., Rentschler, L., Szendrey, S., McIntyre, N., White, M., Nowell, S., & Odom, S. (2020).Supporting individuals with autism through uncertain times. Chapel Hill, NC: School of Education and Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.https://afirm.fpg.unc.edu/supporting-individuals-autism-through-uncertain-times

Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Children with autism and COVID-19. UNICEF Serbia.https://www.unicef.org/serbia/en/children-autism-and-covid-19.COVID-19 Resources for Families. National Autism Association.https://nationalautismassociation.org/covid-19-resources-for-families/Hume, K., Waters, V., Sam, A., Steinbrenner, J., Perkins, Y., Dees, B., Tomaszewski, B., Rentschler, L., Szendrey, S., McIntyre, N., White, M., Nowell, S., & Odom, S. (2020).Supporting individuals with autism through uncertain times. Chapel Hill, NC: School of Education and Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.https://afirm.fpg.unc.edu/supporting-individuals-autism-through-uncertain-times

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Children with autism and COVID-19. UNICEF Serbia.https://www.unicef.org/serbia/en/children-autism-and-covid-19.COVID-19 Resources for Families. National Autism Association.https://nationalautismassociation.org/covid-19-resources-for-families/Hume, K., Waters, V., Sam, A., Steinbrenner, J., Perkins, Y., Dees, B., Tomaszewski, B., Rentschler, L., Szendrey, S., McIntyre, N., White, M., Nowell, S., & Odom, S. (2020).Supporting individuals with autism through uncertain times. Chapel Hill, NC: School of Education and Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.https://afirm.fpg.unc.edu/supporting-individuals-autism-through-uncertain-times

Children with autism and COVID-19. UNICEF Serbia.https://www.unicef.org/serbia/en/children-autism-and-covid-19.

COVID-19 Resources for Families. National Autism Association.https://nationalautismassociation.org/covid-19-resources-for-families/

Hume, K., Waters, V., Sam, A., Steinbrenner, J., Perkins, Y., Dees, B., Tomaszewski, B., Rentschler, L., Szendrey, S., McIntyre, N., White, M., Nowell, S., & Odom, S. (2020).Supporting individuals with autism through uncertain times. Chapel Hill, NC: School of Education and Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.https://afirm.fpg.unc.edu/supporting-individuals-autism-through-uncertain-times

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