The Department of Education has published a Q&A focused on providing services to children with disabilities during the coronavirus outbreak, which can be downloaded
here.
The National Council on Severe Autism has created an online event for parents and caregivers to share stories, concerns, advice, and questions. Their guest commentators Lee Wachtel, MD, Medical Director, Neurobehavioral Unit, Kennedy Krieger Institute, and Alycia Halladay, PhD, Chief Science Officer, Autism Science Foundation, joined NCSA President Jill Escher and Vice President Feda Almaliti in leading the discussion. Topics included everything from hand washing to mommy guilt during this time. You can view the recorded
video here.
The Center for Discovery has shared great ideas for indoor and outdoor activities for families in the time of coronavirus. Click
here to view.
The
National Autism Association has put together an excellent list of resources including teaching tools for kids, tips for caregivers and how to practice social distancing. Click
here for their list.
Interested in taking a field trip without leaving the house?
Click here to take a virtual tour of famous museums around the world and
here for a virtual field trip lesson plan.
Tamika Cody from News10 in Tampa interviewed local experts about
things you can do at home with kids with autism during this challenging time, including dealing with playdates and boredom.
For a full list of education companies offering free subscriptions due to school closures,
click here.
Handling co-morbid conditions during the crisis:
Anxiety:
The Autism Science Foundation's most recent podcast, hosted by ASF CSO Dr. Alycia Halladay, has great tips for handling your child's crisis-related anxiety. You can
listen here
.
Epilepsy:
Infectious disease expert Dr. Stanley Plotkin says epilepsy does not increase the risk of contracting the coronavirus, nor does it add additional risk to someone who is diagnosed.
CURE hosted a
Facebook live stream on COVID-19 with neurologist Dr. Jeffrey Loeb, neuroimmunologist Dr. Michael Carrithers from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and pediatric neurologist Dr. Douglas R. Nordli from UChicago Medicine.
The Epilepsy Foundation hosted a
Facebook live with Patty Osborne Shafer, RN, MN, Jacqueline French, MD and Elaine Wirrell, MD. A Facebook live in Spanish aired on Thursday, March 19, at 8 p.m. ET with Angel Hernandez, MD and Joe Sirven, MD who answered questions from their Spanish-speaking community.
Medicaid rules, waivers and changes
BCBA Molly Reilly will share some basic tips and ideas for managing behavior while your child is quarantined.
Autism Education Attorney Gary Mayerson will share information about how to work with your school district to ensure your child's IEP is being implemented appropriately.
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Erin Lopes will provide guidance on what to do if your family member with autism is diagnosed with coronavirus and hospitalized.
General Information:
The
Autism Society of America launched a
Facebook Live series dedicated to providing relevant, COVID-19 information for the autism community. The weekly broadcast will feature an expert discussing specific topics like mental health, federal emergency funding, and financial planning.
Autism Speaks has put together a comprehensive list of resources for the autism community organized by topic including for families, for educators and health professionals, non-english resources and WHO guidance for the public. Find the list
here.
Green Mountain self-advocates has written a social story about managing symptoms. You can find it
here.
Autism Focused Intervention Resources & Modules (AFIRM) has published a
guide called Supporting Individuals with Autism through Uncertain Times.
Do you have a resource you would like to share? Email us at
contactus@autismsciencefoundation.org