Temple Grandin: Tips For Autism and Quarantine
Families in the spectrum are facing a challenging time with quarantine. Changes in schedules, canceled plans, and lack of social interaction can represent an increased amount of anxiety.
Thankfully, Temple Grandin, Autism advocate, shares her top 5 tips to make the most out of quarantine and ensure your child’s well been!
Set A Schedule
“Routine, schedules, and figuring out what helps you cope. First, you need to make a new routine. You convey to your children that they are going to get up and get ready for school, just like we always have, even though we are doing it at home. After breakfast and getting dressed, go, and do schoolwork and homework. Have lunch and then after lunch gets some exercise by going for a walk, as long as you practice social distancing. I advise working on the schoolwork in the morning when the child is fresh. Then tell them, ‘we are going to have lunch together, and then we can do a board game or a puzzle. We will take a walk or do some other exercise.’ And then he or she can have one hour of downtime on a device where the child gets to pick what he wants to watch.”
Have Peace
“One of the first things is for parents not to show fear. It is also important to put [the health crisis] in perspective using language that the child will understand. We can compare it to a storm that you have to hunker down for; except this is a longer storm. Explain that we will have a schedule, we will do our work, schoolwork or homework, play some games and watch movies as a family, and when we do things together it will help keep us safe.”
Explain
“I think we can explain that we will get through this as individuals, families, communities, and a nation. And there are things we need to do to be careful, like staying home, keeping our homes clean, engaging in social distancing and other safety measures, including washing our hands and using hand sanitizer.”
Have Fun
“Games are great. And with all the TV shows and movies, there are to watch, take turns choosing them for movie night. So, if there are two adults and a child in the home, the child gets to pick the movie every third night. And each of you has to sit through all of the movies. Watching the movie and playing games are more than entertainment. It helps with turn-taking and gets your mind off the fear.”
Stay Social
“I would suggest getting your child online with some friends from school on Zoom or calling them on the phone. It’s something specific, something they can look forward to and it doesn’t cost money. Let’s keep to our schedule and take the child who is getting bored and find some grown-up literature on history, politics, science, or anything else that piques their interest. And no slouching around in our pajamas.”
*Note: These tips were extracted from an interview that Dr.Temple shared with Parade Magazine. Find the whole interview here.
We understand that having yourself and your children in quarantine can be challenging. However, we want to remind you that you are not alone and that we are here to answer all your questions related to autism, covid-19, prevention, stem cells, and more. Feel free to contact us in the comment section!
At WSCC, we offer support for autistic families and their children with Stem Cell Therapy treatments that can transform autistic conditions by healing the gut, decreasing inflammation, and improving brain function. We also created an autistic community on Facebook that is destined to offer support and companionship for ASD parents and their families on their journey.
Remember, you are not alone!