Helping Students Understand Coronavirus!
Autism and Coronavirus: Helping Students Understand
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What’s important about Autism and Coronavirus?
Why do we need to tell students with autism about the Coronavirus? Because most students with autism already know about it. It doesn’t matter if they are young or older. They may have a lot of language or demonstrate limited communication skills. But in some way they probably know something is different. That’s how it works.
Our students will notice something strange like a person wearing a face mask. They will pick up fragments of information from TV or people talking. Perhaps they sense your anxiety. Or they may even see pictures of people wearing hazmat suits.
It all creates anxiety. And student anxiety will rise when schools close and the student’s daily schedules and routines change unexpectedly. And that is exactly what may be happening.
Several states have already announced closing schools for several weeks. Probably more will follow.
How do you help?
Parents and teachers need to give information to their students. But here is what’s important to understand. Just telling them is not enough. This is a really important time to make it visual.
Create a conversation book
Creating written conversations is really one of my favorite visual techniques. I’ll describe the procedure here. Of course, you’ll modify it as needed for your child or your student, depending on age and level of understanding. But here it is.
Get a folder or binder or notebook
1. Label it.
I think books need names. You can call it The Coronavirus Book. Or call it “Emily’s Book.” Or you or your student may come up with something more creative. That’s OK. Just give it a name.
2. Have a conversation with the student about the coronavirus.
But here’s what is important. Write down whatever you talk about.
- Ask the student with autism what he/she already knows about the coronavirus. Write it down.
- Explain the situation in a clear but simple way. Write it down.
- You might also explain that what you hear on TV can be very confusing. But write it down.
- Ask him what questions he has. Write down the answers.
- Tell her what questions you have. Write the answers.
You can ask things like:
- What are you worried about?
- Does something make you afraid?
- What do you need to do to be safe?
- Why do you need to wash your hands?
Be sure to affirm to students that they are safe. Parents and teachers will help them.
Remember this
Don’t get hung up on the writing part. You can write it. The student can write it. Type it on the computer. It doesn’t matter. Remember, this is not a lesson in handwriting. It’s a communication activity.
Add some pictures
Find them on the internet. Draw them. Take photos. Cut them out of a magazine. Use a computer picture program if you have one. They don’t all need to be the same style. But the pictures will add context. They will help the student remember the conversation. And they will add some entertainment to the activity.
Here’s a really important part
Sometimes people try to write all of the information in one big conversation or one big story. I prefer to do it in a different way.
I like to cover the information in several smaller conversations on different but related topics. Write each one as a separate page or “chapter” in your book. For example, separate topics can include:
Why do I need to wash my hands.
What is a virus
Why do people wear masks.
Make sure it’s personalized
What kinds of topics do you need to have conversations about? Make sure you are including topics that are very important to this individual.
- What surprised me?
- Why Disneyland is closed.
- Why I can’t watch March Madness on TV.
- Why Louie is not going to work.
- Why they didn’t have any toilet paper at the grocery store.
- Why we won’t go on vacation during spring break.
- When will I go back to school?
- What is a virus and how does it work?
- What does a virus look like?
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