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General Precautions: (Apply to You and Your Family)
- Wear a mask in public.
- Avoid contact with the visibly ill.
- Social distance—stay six feet apart.
- Stay home if you are sick.
- Wash your hands often with warm water.
- Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds.
- Do not touch your face.
- Use gloves as often as possible.
- Avoid touching surfaces with your bare hands.
- Check your temperature daily.
Protecting Your Household:
- Prepare a list of local organizations that can quickly be contacted if additional information and resources are needed.
- Keep up with local COVID-19 conditions.
- Clean frequently used surfaces and electronics in your home.
- Consider your child’s risk of contraction and be aware of their surroundings.
- Create an emergency contact list.
- Be aware of your pets’ surroundings.
- Do not let pets interact with anyone outside of your household.
- Clean groceries and other items from stores.
Personal Vehicles:
- Keep a spare pair of gloves, mask, and a bottle of hand sanitizer in your vehicle.
- Open the windows to improve ventilation.
- Limit the number of people in your vehicle.
- Do not have those aside from immediate family inside your vehicle.
- Wipe down available surfaces in your vehicle daily.
Doctors’ Visits:
- Use telemedicine if possible.
- Communicate with medical staff by email or phone when possible.
- When visiting a doctors’ office/hospital know the proper precautions to stay safe.
- While in a doctors’ office/hospital wear a mask and gloves and social distance.
- If you or your child has Covid-19 symptoms, contact your doctors’ office ahead of time to discuss the proper handling of the situation.
Pharmacy:
- Avoid direct trips to the pharmacy.
- Use the Drive-thru when possible.
- If possible, have medications and prescriptions delivered to your home.
Parenting a special needs child during the COVID pandemic
Helpful Special Needs Organizations
Keeping Your Child Healthy, Active, and Entertained:
- Encourage your child to video chat with friends and family.
- If possible, go on walks with your child or allow them to play in the backyard.
- Encourage your child to use resources for social and emotional learning:
Casel
Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence
Distant Learning for Special Education
Scholastic – Learn at Home for Families
- Encourage your child to eat healthy.
- Make sure your child gets at least 8 hours of sleep each night.
- Keep your child active with fun and educational tunes:
Alphabet Songs
Sesame Street Morning Meeting
- Children love being read to! Here are some links to recorded children’s book readings:
- Fun activity ideas for you and your child:
Happy Hooligans
I Heart Crafty Things
- Additional Resources for Medically Fragile, Injured, and Special Needs Children:
Shopping in Stores:
- Use contactless methods of payment when applicable.
- If you ride in another’s vehicle, wear a mask and gloves. After, wash your hands as soon as possible.
- Avoid riding in a vehicle that is not your own.
Travel and Outings: (What Does a Family Outing with a Medically Fragile Child Look Like Now?)
- Limit Travel, especially for those with underlying health issues.
- Do not travel outside of the United States now.
- After traveling to a state with rising COVID-19 cases, quarantine yourself.
- Do not share bikes, skateboards, scooters, etc. with friends.
- Avoid eating inside restaurants, order takeout instead.
Helpful Articles:
Pandemic Pushes Parents Of Kids With Special Needs To Breaking Point
ChildMind: Talking To Kids About the Coronavirus Crisis
Unicef article: Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health During Covid-19
NYU Article: Checking Your Teenagers Mood During Covid-19
