Being quarantined at home for two weeks is a daunting thought for most, but the restrictions take on a whole other meaning for those with special needs and their loved ones.
One Cloverdale mom whose family is finding ways to cope after returning from a trip to Florida, acknowledged the exercise is important in helping prevent the spread of COVID-19, in the event one of them picked up the virus while they were away.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e all symptom-free 乌鸦传媒� so far,乌鸦传媒� Christine Williamson said Monday, of herself, husband Chad, daughters Jennah and Mikayla and her in-laws. 乌鸦传媒淲e just want to make sure we乌鸦传媒檙e not a part of the problem, and we want to stay safe.乌鸦传媒�
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Still, the impact COVID-19 has had on the routines and therapies that Mikayla needs to help manage daily life as a person with autism and other diagnoses has been severe.
In short, 乌鸦传媒渋t乌鸦传媒檚 crisis mode,乌鸦传媒� said Williamson, noting the sentiment is one shared by many families who have special needs children.
And, the quarantine 乌鸦传媒� which, for the Williamsons, ends Monday (April 6) 乌鸦传媒� has only exacerbated it.
Usually, workers and therapists are in and out of the Williamson family home every weekday, helping 18-year-old Mikayla with everything from managing her behaviours to schoolwork. But now, 乌鸦传媒渟he has none of that,乌鸦传媒� her mom said.
乌鸦传媒淔or kids on the autism spectrum, routine is everything,乌鸦传媒� Williamson said, describing her daughter as 乌鸦传媒渜uirky and funny,乌鸦传媒� with a love of reptiles and swimming, and a knack for the artistic.
乌鸦传媒淓verything that they do is regimented. It乌鸦传媒檚 how they have order in their life. And so she has none of that. On top of that, we乌鸦传媒檙e now quarantined. We can乌鸦传媒檛 go to the park, we can乌鸦传媒檛 do anything.乌鸦传媒�
To make matters worse, 乌鸦传媒渂ecause we don乌鸦传媒檛 have answers, we can乌鸦传媒檛 calm her fear and anxiety of it.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淗er meltdowns are worse and more frequent. Her level of being able to cope is not there.乌鸦传媒�
No stranger to struggles, however 乌鸦传媒� the family has weathered everything from layoffs to Williamson乌鸦传媒檚 own battles with mental illness over the past two decades 乌鸦传媒� Williamson said an important way that she and her family have learned to cope is to focus on what they can control, rather than what they can乌鸦传媒檛. Things like the 乌鸦传媒渢hermostat乌鸦传媒� in their home 乌鸦传媒� and not the one that controls the actual temperature.
They乌鸦传媒檝e set up 乌鸦传媒榥o-judgment zones乌鸦传媒� where as a family they can say whatever they need to without fear of judgment or reprisal, and then together, work on coming up with two positives out of whatever was said.
Recognizing the impact of limited space in the home on each occupant has also been important, Williamson said; honouring expressed needs for time to themselves, 乌鸦传媒渆ven if we might be put out for a bit.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淛ust a lot of things like that 乌鸦传媒� being willing to be vulnerable and to speak what it is that we乌鸦传媒檙e feeling in any given moment乌鸦传媒� feel what we need to feel and then move on from that.乌鸦传媒�
They乌鸦传媒檙e skills that can be applied to anybody, she noted, giving credit to Emotions BC Health and Wellness Society, an organization that formed in 2018 乌鸦传媒渢o provide and deliver programs and services to families and caregivers of loved ones dealing with emotion dysregulation caused by diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health challenges.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淓motionsBC was created to eliminate barriers and to enhance health and wellness for loved ones struggling with mental health challenges as well as families 乌鸦传媒� and therefore, potentially and quite literally, saving lives,乌鸦传媒� an introduction on the society乌鸦传媒檚 website states.
Williamson said the society helped their family 乌鸦传媒渋n some of our darkest moments,乌鸦传媒� and a desire to return the favour by being a beacon of hope for others drove her and her husband to become involved not just as program participants but also as facilitators of some of the programs. Williamson also now holds the role of administrative assistant.
In these days of social distancing, self-isolation and quarantine, supports are having to be given and accessed in different ways, many of them online. For Mikayla, that means connecting with her therapy team through such avenues as Zoom, with her mom at her side to guide her 乌鸦传媒� though the sessions are a far cry from the support she gained through her one-on-one therapies.
Williamson said it doesn乌鸦传媒檛 take a grand gesture to assist families that are struggling 乌鸦传媒� it can be as simple as offering to add a couple extra items to their own grocery list. Neighbours can also share a tea 乌鸦传媒渄ate乌鸦传媒� from the safety of their respective porches, just to check in.
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乌鸦传媒淧ractical things like that go a long way to break the isolation,乌鸦传媒� she said.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e used to isolation, but this is different,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淎nd because there乌鸦传媒檚 so much more fear and concern, and there乌鸦传媒檚 no end in sight, there乌鸦传媒檚 no game plan. Everyone乌鸦传媒檚 affected on such a deeper, bigger level, that the sense of community, to me, means that you乌鸦传媒檙e really checking in on people and giving them a space乌鸦传媒� to share how they乌鸦传媒檙e really feeling and what they乌鸦传媒檙e really thinking.乌鸦传媒�
Williamson said she also feels 乌鸦传媒渟lightly strongly乌鸦传媒� about those who aren乌鸦传媒檛 taking social-distancing and other recommended or ordered preventative measures seriously.
Acknowledging that she was among those who initially doubted the seriousness of the pandemic, Williamson said her mind changed when she realized how quickly it was spreading and how vulnerable Mikayla was.
乌鸦传媒淏ecause of all the struggles my daughter has, I am concerned for her safety,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淪he puts her hands in her mouth all the time.
乌鸦传媒淚 feel that if people could understand that because we don乌鸦传媒檛 know what we乌鸦传媒檙e dealing with, there isn乌鸦传媒檛 a defense for it. If we could just take a step back乌鸦传媒� just re-prioritize a little bit, we have a chance to save thousands of lives.乌鸦传媒�
Williamson said shifting her own mindset around the quarantine from one of 乌鸦传媒渇eeling like the walls are closing in on me,乌鸦传媒� to one that looks at abiding by the measures as a gift was an important step for her on Sunday; the halfway point.
As difficult as the journey is and will continue to be for an undetermined time, however, she said she is confident there are brighter days ahead.
乌鸦传媒淲hen I look at the virus, in and of itself, I feel that we have a lot of skills and resiliency,乌鸦传媒� she said.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 not that there aren乌鸦传媒檛 tears and concerns and unknowns. We have already weathered so many storms乌鸦传媒� you always find a way to rebuild from the ashes of what you乌鸦传媒檝e gone through.乌鸦传媒�
Online resources Williamson suggested include the Emotions BC website, at (for families, caregivers and loved ones), and and (for programs, training and supports for individuals as well as families).
tholmes@peacearchnews.com
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