This is such a great question! I’m so glad you asked. Wishing you all the best as you keep finding ways to stay connected, When they mail you back, show a photo of the person who wrote to you so he can connect the letter with the person visually. Consider making something sensory like gluing sand, packing peanuts, or noodles on paper. Drawing or writing letters together to send to family and friends and hopefully they will send him something too. Some other activities to consider might be: Looking at photo albums or pictures online to remember friends and family and share stories about his time with them.
Finding what satisfies him emotionally while maintaining his social bonds may take time but please don’t give up! It sounds like sensory focused activities that give his body positive sensations may support his ability to engage. This is such a process to discover what works best for your son to maintain social engagement safely. Could you all cook a meal while video chatting? Have dinner on video chat? Color or paint together? Could the older children read a story to your son? Do a puppet show? Have a dance party? Since your son is still developing verbal communication, it sounds like it might be helpful to have organized activities ready to engage him and his cousins or friends during the call.How might he respond if you give him squeezes, hugs, or tickles during the call to mimic what he’s used to? Could you also sing songs or do dances that involve clapping or stomping feet to engage other forms of sensory experiences? (If You’re Happy and You Know It ABCs with claps or stomps Animal Freeze Dance One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pumpkins etc.).Could the video and sensory play be combined? What if you did a video chat with a friend or cousin while they both had a box of sand and some toys? Or it could be other sensory objects he likes such as dried beans, bird seeds, or soapy water.How does he react when you or your partner give him the sensory inputs he was getting from peers? How does he respond to your hugs? Tickles? Sand play at home?.How does your son respond to doing video calls with cousins and friends? Does he enjoy it? React to the video? Or does he treat it more passively like watching a movie?.Let’s think about how we can creatively provide him with both visual access to peers as well as sensory inputs that may mimic the play without opening up opportunities for sharing germs. It appears that he benefits by being around others through sensory play like sand, tickling, and hugs as well as the social aspect of being near peers.
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This is so important as we try to figure out how to best meet his needs.įinally, it sounds like your child is utterly charming in his love of other children, cousins, and sensory play.
It also sounds like you are very observant of your son’s needs and open to understanding his perspective.
It is a hard time for everyone so know that you’re not the only parent trying to sort out this situation. So many things that our children used to love are either closed, unsafe, or disrupted by our current health pandemic. Most families are trying to figure out the best ways to keep everyone physically safe, maintain health and hygiene, while also staying emotionally balanced and mentally well.
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North Suburban Parents of Kids with Special Needs North Suburban Parents of Kids with Special Needs | Facebook – Facebook group with online discussions and support services.įull Spectrum Families Full Spectrum Families (Evanston, IL) | Meetup – A parent lead group that meets regularly in the Evanston area.Īnd please, let me know if you find more resources that are useful to you as a parent so we can share them back with other parents and families!įirst things first…You are not alone in this struggle. The Answer, Inc Support Services - The Answer Inc Autism Awareness & Support Agency Offers various support groups including parent groups, a group just for men caring for individuals with autism, and a 24/7 helpline. If you are interested, please email Mercedes Herrera, one of our social workers, who is coordinating this program addition, if you’d like to find other resources, here are some groups offering various support services and advocacy resources for parents and caregivers.Īsperger Autism Network Support Groups and Online Forums – The Asperger / Autism Network (AANE) Currently, Blue Bird Day is seeking other families who are interested in participating in caregiver support groups. Your question about finding support and forming relationships with other parents and caregivers is an important one.