Page 15 - North State Parent June 2020

TEHAMA COUNTY
A Place Where Families Grow
Whittenberg Country School
A SCHOOL OF MASTERY
Private Elementary School, Grades K-8
(530) 529-0866 • Red Bluff
WWW.WHITTENBERG.ORG
A blended academic model including both online
and onsite learning, serving grades 7-12
• California Credentialed Teachers
• High standards for academic excellence and personal growth
• Focus on college & career readiness
(530) 527-0188 • 715 Jackson St. • Red Bluff • www.telacademy.org
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LOCAL KIDS NEED LOCAL FAMILIES
PLEASE CONSIDER ADOPTING FROM FOSTER CARE
For information contact:
Tehama County Adoption Services 530-527-1911
CSLB #1063007
Expert Tree Removal • Pruning • Stump Grinding
FREE ESTIMATE • LICENSED TREE CARE PROFESSIONALS
530-343-4533 ABOUTTREES.US
A DIVISION OF NORTH VALLEY ARBOR MANAGEMENT
WE’RE HERE TO HELP YOU TEACH YOUR CHILDREN AT HOME
K-8 PUBLIC SCHOOL HOMESTUDY PROGRAM
(530) 528-7301
Proven Academics • Dedicated Support Fro Credentialed Teachers • Lots Of Enrichment Opportunities: Music, Art, Photo Club, Etc.
Serving Tehama, Shasta, Butte, Glenn, Trinity, Mendo
www.lincolnstreetschool.org
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cino & Plumas counties
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{ UNIQUELY US {
REFLECTIONS OF A SPECIAL NEEDS PARENT BY JENNIFER ARNOLD
Explaining COVID-19
to a Child with Autism
These are strange times we are living in currently. I can tell you from experience that parents of children with special needs are used to the unexpected. We are not novices at hav-
ing to problem solve on the fly, but even we were thrown for a loop with COVID-19 and all the changes that it brought.
Our kids are used to structure and routine; they thrive on it. COVID-19 came along and threw a monkey wrench into life as they know it. School, therapies, friends and outings in the community are on indefinite hold. The unknown to a child on the autism spectrum often means increased anxiety, and with COVID-19, there seem to be endless unknowns.
Since every child on the spectrum is unique, there is no one-size- fits-all approach to explaining a pandemic. For our daughter, who is in seventh grade, I went with a social story. I found a template on the inter- net. As I do with all her social stories, I personalized it for her because she responds better if they have familiar things in them. Our social story revolved around the importance of staying home. Some online story tem- plates go into more detail about COVID-19 itself, and some are extreme- ly basic. You will find many wonderful ones to choose from to fit your child’s individuality.
There has been a lot of emphasis on handwashing as a precaution with COVID-19. Since many children on the spectrum, especially the younger ones, need assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) and personal hygiene, it can be challenging to make sure they are washing for the recommended twenty seconds. We took the suggestion of singing the "Happy Birthday" song twice, and it has made the task a lot easier.
Another possible COVID-19 related obstacle for kids on the spec- trum may be having to wear a mask in certain places. Many children and young adults with autism have sensory issues and will probably resist wearing a face mask to the point of a colossal meltdown. Since wearing masks in places like physicians' offices and clinics may be the norm for a while, one suggestion is to have them practice wearing one for a few minutes—even a few seconds—at a time at home to gradually increase their tolerance of it.
For examples of social stories regarding COVID-19, as well as other resources visit nationalautismassociation.org/covid-19-resources- for-families/ Ó
Uniquely Us is a unique opportunity to address special needs issues and concerns and to celebrate life. If you have something in particular you would like to read about, please write to pn@northstateparent.com (please include UU in the subject line).
Shasta County author Jennifer Arnold is the mom of four, two of whom have been diagnosed with multiple special needs. She hopes to raise awareness of many issues that parents of special needs children face on a regular basis.
www.northstateparent.com • JMunaey2020 15