Posts Tagged ‘social distancing’
Isolation, Distancing, Learning: We’ve Been Here Before
The world has shut down. We’re under stay-at-home orders. Because of a new virus that can be fatal, we’re forced to stay home until it’s contained. We have to stand six feet away from other people if we go anywhere. We have to homeschool our children because schools are closed until further notice. Doctor appointments and therapy are held over telemedicine video calls. This all seems a little too familiar. I remember how hard it was being stuck inside for extended periods of time. I recall my kids having therapy…
Read MoreCrumbs on the Counter
Hi. My name is Carrie. I am married to a man named Joe, and we have five kids. Our second son, Jack, is diagnosed with autism. Right now, we are a family attempting to get through a pandemic with as much grace, humor, and kindness as we can muster. This is harder than one might think. Today, I yelled about crumbs on the counter. You could hardly see them, these crumbs. Unless you squinted and tilted your head at a certain angle and the overhead lights were on full blast.…
Read MoreWhat a Wonderful World
What a Wonderful World, by Louis Armstrong. A beautiful song. I danced to it with my father at my wedding. Recently, I watched a friend dance with his mother to that exact song at his wedding. Her face beamed with pride. He had the biggest grin the entire time they danced together. I bet in that moment she was remembering that same boyish grin she watched transform from a toothless smile as a baby, to a snaggle toothed little boy, to braces as a teen and now this handsome son…
Read MoreThe Fear We Feel
This is the most fearful time of my life. A deadly virus spreading quickly throughout the country will strike fear in most people. However there is another fear I feel deep down in my soul. A fear most of us special needs parents are feeling during this uncertain time. The fear of regression! The fear of our amazing kids losing skills they worked so hard to master. Social skills, academic skills, social/emotional skills, they all matter. This fear haunts me and keeps me up at night. I am doing all…
Read MoreHow Does He Feel Loved?
This morning I listened to a radio show, where a doctor explained that in times of isolation and fear, we need to feel loved in order to feel safe. He went on to say that something called oxytocin is our happiness hormone, and when it is released throughout our body, we feel a surge of positive emotion, or love. He said the most effective way to release oxytocin is to bond socially. In times of social distancing, it’s important that we each make eye contact, and experience touch. Hi. My…
Read MoreThe Neurotypical’s Meltdown
I am NOT a “visual person.” My husband sees everything, even the hidden structure of a complex machine simply based on form, function, and the noise it makes. My husband is NOT a “listener.” I hear everything, even the raw truth betrayed by single word choice. Yin and yang. Peas and carrots. Amy and Sheldon. I may get the gold star for daily grinding, but he has saved my life more times than I can count, literally and figuratively. If I am the trusty ole’ engine, he is the emergency…
Read MoreToo Familiar
Doesn’t all of this feel oddly familiar to you? So terrified of the future. Haven’t you felt that before? The fear of the unknown? Continual anxiety caused by the ultimate invisible boogey man we call… time. When will this change? How long will this last? When will this get better? Almost too familiar. So many questions but no one has concrete answers. Actually, let me rephrase. No one has answers that make sense to my non-expert brain. Information is flooding in fast but it is all so confusing and contradictory…
Read MoreIt’s Not All Sunshine and Rainbows
Times are hard right now. For everyone. And if you’re a parent of a child with a disability, being off school isn’t as “cute” and “pretty” as it may seem across social media. I’m not saying every minute of every day is hard, but it’s not all fun crafts and cookie baking either. As I sit and reflect after a very difficult day, I want to express my feelings and the reality so many families are facing right now. You see, cancelling school doesn’t just mean no school for a few…
Read MorePlease Remember the Kids Like My Daughter
I can’t catch my breath. Not because I’m sick. But because I’m scared. I know that this is a difficult time for all of us. I’m especially scared though for my daughter Liz and for other kids with special needs. And for their families. Liz’s therapy center is now closed indefinitely. No ABA, no speech therapy, no occupational therapy. I am scared that she will regress and lose much of the progress that she has made without access to these therapies. She has worked too hard and come too far…
Read MoreSocial Distancing; A Way of Life for Some
Social distancing. For a lot of people this is a new concept. Being alone, nowhere to go, no play dates, no birthday parties, no big family gatherings…staying home alone seems to be make people very uneasy. It’s hard and people are reassuring each other that “it’s just temporary“ and that life will go back to “normal” soon enough. But for some of us, this has been a way of life for a long time. What if this is your new normal? I get it. I used to be the mom…
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