Links and tips for the PDA community during the Coronavirus pandemic

We’ve shared below links to new and existing resources and some helpful approaches for PDAers, plus a list of free resources that are available whilst we’re all at home social distancing or self-isolating.

We’ll keep updating this page with additional information, ideas and resources – and please do let us know if you have other tips or links to share ...

Some of these ideas may need a little PDA adaptation (see below for further ideas on this) and some may be interchangeable between adults and children, depending on the individual …

Talking about coronavirus

Talking to kids about coronavirus – Child Mind Institute
Beacon School’s newsletter – how to talk to children about coronavirus
The science of soap – how it kills coronavirus – The Guardian

Thank you to Sally Cat for creating this graphic for us

Mental health & well-being

Managing feelings about lockdown easing – Mind.
NHS – Every Mind Matters.
Strategy to Manage Emotions During Coronavirus – Ashley SLT.
Siblings and lockdown – young sibs ideas and tips for looking after mental health.
CAMHS Resources – a pool of resources available to help support mental health and well-being.
Tips on finding our way back to our ‘window of tolerance’ during the coronavirus pandemic – Additude (not PDA specific).

UK Government information & guidance

Coronavirus testing.
Recent and upcoming changes and guidance and support.
Face coverings (please see Face coverings section below).
What parents and carers need to know about early years providers, schools and colleges during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak (applies to England).
Children of critical workers and vulnerable children who can access schools or educational settings.
Safer travel guidance for passengers.
Back to school – what you need to know – The Education Hub (Aug 2021)

Guidance: visiting loved ones in inpatient settings, care homes and supported living

GOV UK COVID-19: guidance for supported living – includes guidance around visitors (applies to England).
right2visit website – guidance for families and close friends having problems visiting loved ones who are autistic and/or have learning disabilities in inpatient mental health settings, care homes and supported living.

School & college

To help PDA students and their families and teachers prepare for the return to school and college, we’ve collated some helpful resources and advice (2020) and Back to school resources for education professionals (2021).
What to do if your child’s SEND education rights are denied when schools fully-reopen – Special Needs Jungle webinar recording.
Talking transition after lockdown – Great Minds Together podcast (advice about transition for children and young people with special educational needs).
Children of critical workers and vulnerable children who can access schools or educational settings – GOV UK.
Using Xbox or PlayStation to access Hwb (remote online learning hub in Wales).
Get help with remote education – GOV UK
Back to school – what you need to know – The Education Hub (blog.gov.uk) – GOV UK

Face coverings

GOV UK update – Face coverings: when to wear one and how to make your own. Includes information about exemptions and exemption cards.
GOV UK guidance: Face coverings in education (in England).
How to buy the best face covering – Which? (Find out about the different types of face mask).
Information on understanding why face coverings may be difficult for autistic people and ideas for helping from The Washington Post and Harvard Health Blog (not PDA or UK specific).
Exemption cards:
- GOV UK printable exemption card and badge (digital version for mobile phone also available).
- Hidden disabilities Unable to wear a face covering card.
- Other exemption cards have also been made available online. Here are some examples: Brighton & Hove Bus Company; Arriva; First Group.
Panda-themed face masks from WWF UK

Accessible information
– social stories etc.

Coming out of lockdown (easy read top tips) and other easy read resources by Ambitious about Autism
Free coronavirus social story by The Autism Educator and another one from Carol Gray
Helping autistic students understand coronavirus using visual strategies – Linda Hodgdon
Coronavirus story for children – Elsa Support
Dave the Dog is worried about coronavirus by Nurse Dotty Books – a book for children about coronavirus that aims to give information without fear
Beating the Virus and other free picture stories and illustrated guides about coping with coronavirus by Beyond Words – a short wordless story to help people understand what to do if you have Coronavirus and how to keep yourself and those who you care about safe
Dimensions has shared easy read information and social stories about coronavirus
Playmobil Coronavirus explainer video
Children’s guide to coronavirus – Children’s Commissioner
Coronavirus A book for children illustrated by Axel Scheffler – Nosy Crow free digital book
Easy read posters – latest advice free to print or share online – Keep safe
How Lego can be used to explain social distancing to children – BBC
Having a Coronavirus test at home social story – South Glos Parents & Carers
Information about vaccines: For people with a learning disability and autistic people – NHS (video)

Links for autistic adults

Coping with the coronavirus outbreak – tips from adult PDAers
Autism and quarantine – NeuroClastic
Sensory Kits for Adults – Allison Davies (YouTube video)

Links for parents & carers

Autism and coronavirus: Advice for parents by blogger Rosie Weldon
Social Workers Toolbox – guide for parents/carers and cartoon book about coronavirus
How families can cope with self-isolating together – BBC News
Play in Crisis: support for parents and carers (information and ideas so you can support your child’s play) – International Play Association
contact For families with disabled children Coronavirus pages – latest updated information, support and advice about Coronavirus and its impact on families with disabled children

ARFID –
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder

If you or your child is only able to eat safe foods, ARFID Awareness UK has made letters available to help explain this and request exemption from restrictions on purchase quantities of these items.

PDA Society resources

Our PDA Alert Cards and PDA Awareness Cards can be shown to people to explain PDA and how they can help – available from our shop in packs of 25 cards.
We’ve put together some PDA-related suggestions that may be helpful to include in healthcare passports.
Our series of Q&A videos about PDA during the coronavirus pandemic. Topics include: education; siblings; preparing children for life after the coronavirus outbreak; managing video calls and transition tips; helping PDA teens & young adults understand lockdown rules and hand washing tips for PDA adults.

Helpful approaches with PDA during the coronavirus outbreak

There are general tips in the helpful approaches for children, self-help and coping strategies for adults and webinars sections and here are some specific ideas:

Sharing information

Explain that the World Health Organisation is advising these measures and that everyone all over the world is having to make changes. Focus on simple, scientific explanations from reputable experts (such as the ‘science of soap’ article in the list above).

Explore more indirect ways to share information – maybe printing information out and making it available to read or sharing information via email/instant messaging?

Demands & anxiety

Rephrase demands – for example: ‘the hand wash is on the sink’, ‘I wonder who can think of a song/poem to sing/say whilst we wash our hands’, ‘let’s list the top 10 dinosaurs whilst we wash our hands’, ‘I can’t seem to remember how to wash my hands properly, please can you remind me?’ …

Keep calm and matter of fact, and offer alternatives if usual activities aren’t possible – ‘it’s not possible to (go to the cinema/visit Granny) right now but instead we can (bake a cake/Skype her)’

Find ways to enable your child to be in charge – could they supervise the household’s hand washing or organise shopping for vulnerable relatives or neighbours for instance?

Understand that your child may be extremely anxious – accept that things may be tricky especially whilst everyone adjusts to the ‘new normal’, try to be as patient as you can, reduce demands in other areas where possible and focus on mental health. The World Health Organisation has produced a document in relation to mental health considerations at this time, as have Young Minds.

Feeling in control

Focus on the things you can control – e.g. following government advice and finding things to keep you distracted/occupied whilst socially distancing/self-isolating – and not on things you can’t.

For children (and adults) who may already practise ‘social distancing’ or ‘self-isolation’, seeing the rest of the world also adopting these measures may feel quite validating and they could position themselves as having expert lived experience in this area

Q&As with PDA Society advisors

Over the coming weeks we’ll be recording a rolling series of Q&A videos about PDA during the coronavirus pandemic. So far topics include: education; siblings; preparing children for life after the coronavirus outbreak; managing video calls and transition tips; helping PDA teens & young adults understand lockdown rules and hand washing tips for PDA adults.

Emotional well-being

Provide reassurance that whilst currently we don’t know how long these measures will be in place, life will return to normal in the future. Maybe acknowledge the things you miss, spend time thinking about some of the benefits of the present situation (e.g. recharging batteries, spending time as a family, having a chance to do things we might not normally have time for, exploring alternative and creative ways of working/interacting …) and then focus on what you’ll do in future when the restrictions are lifted.

For some autistic people hand washing may become quite an ‘obsession’ or researching the virus may become a very focused special interest – this may be fine or may require monitoring and support if it becomes more concerning from a mental health perspective.

Try to find and share positive news stories relating to coronavirus – e.g. community initiatives, acts of kindness, recovery rates, environmental benefits etc. (for instance, this BBC News article has 5 positive points).

Sensory difficulties

Remember there may be some sensory issues to take account of – there are many suggestions online for how to incorporate a sensory diet into your day or create a DIY sensory room (see below links for some suggestions).

Education

Schools will be providing access to online materials/classes – and there are lots of free resources available with more coming on stream every day (see below for some suggestions). Some children may like some continued routine/structure; others may prefer to ‘go with the flow’ more. Doing things together, including academic work, can help reduce the sense of demand. Remember, though, that everyone’s mental health and well being needs to remain the priority.

Our education advisor Jilly Davis answers questions from the PDA community about education during the coronavirus pandemic in this Q&A video. A written summary is also available.

Other tips

Coping with the coronavirus outbreak – tips from adult PDAers

During this time it may be helpful to consider relaxing screen time limits etc.

Try to remember your own self-care during this time too – easier said than done but probably more essential now than ever.

Resources & things to do whilst at home

List of free resources and other useful links to things that are available to do whilst we’re all at home social distancing or self-isolating. Includes links to education resources

Other thoughts …

Maintaining contact with the outside world will be important for everyone during this period of social distancing and self-isolation – fortunately there are lots of ways to keep in touch and maintain a sense of community using modern technology. Many local PDA support groups (listed here) are online and there’s a range of PDA Facebook support groups listed here as well. Our website discussion forum also offers peer to peer support.
Likewise, there may be opportunities for home and online working which may suit some autistic people well.
Do let us know if you have other tips or links to share with our PDA community!