Pausing the World / Routines (COVID-19)

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) put the majority - if not all - of our worlds on "pause" this week. Daily routines like going to work, grabbing lunch with friends, or making a quick stop at the store to pick up some chicken for dinner (or toilet paper, because, you know...) came to a crashing halt this week.

Routine. it seems so simple and casual under normal circumstances. Google defines "routine" as a "sequence of actions regularly followed; a fixed program." Half the time, we complain about our routines and wish for something different. When you are on the Spectrum, though, following a routine is what gets you through the day; it's what keeps you focused.

For the past two and a half years, Hudson's routine has involved regular SE-IT, Speech, OT, and PT sessions. His services have been a tremendous part of his life, and have helped challenge him to grow in the areas where he has needed it the most. As with any service through the school system, most therapy sessions do not occur when school is not in session. When the difficult decision came to close our school district, for at least the next month, the routine therapies that our family relied upon for Hudson instantly stopped.

The question that any parent of school-aged children is currently asking, "so, what the heck do we do now??" elicits a different response when your child needs special services. Kayla immediately sprung into action when word came down that the district would be closing. She not only compiled a list of educational resources for local families to have readily-available, but she also put together exercises that focus on continuing the progress Hudson has been making with his therapists. She wrote out schedules to help keep Hudson on track, shifting him from one task to another, just as if he were in school. She printed materials and exercises that help cover his academic, physical, and gross motor skill developmental needs. As I work from home, Kayla plays several roles; Mother, Teacher, and Therapist. If you come to read these posts often, you'll read these words frequently - I AM SO INCREDIBLY LUCKY TO BE MARRIED TO THIS WOMAN.

We tried to talk with Hudson about what is going on in the world; why he isn't going back to school for awhile, and how the world is on pause. As a four year old boy, he doesn't really understand. He usually says "Hmmm, ok" and runs off pretending to be in a "Dinosaurs versus Star Wars" battle. For the record, I'm always a Storm Trooper that gets eaten in the end. We're scared that he's going to regress socially, but we feel optimistic that we have the rest of the bases covered.

Through this blog, Kayla and I hope to share with you how home school/therapy works for us as we attempt to survive these difficult times. Day One was pretty successful. With any luck, you'll find something that you can use yourself - or share with others in need.

Stay tuned, and stay healthy!