Navigating the Holiday Season: Tips
The holiday season brings a lot of fun and opportunities to connect with families. However, it may also bring challenges due to schedule change, sensory overload, need to travel, and social engagement expectations.
Here is a list of resources to help you successfully navigate this holiday season!
- Autism Society: Twelve Tips for Helping Individuals with Autism Have a Happy Holiday Season
- Easter Seals: 16 Ways to Prepare Children with Autism for Holidays
- Autism Speaks: Home for the holidays: Helping family members with autism have a happy holiday break
- IRCA: Making the Most of the Holidays for Your Family and Your Son/Daughter on the Autism Spectrum
- HANDS in Autism©: Holiday Tips for Families of Individuals with ASD
New Page Available: Summer Safety Tips
A new resource page is now available with resources on how to make summer safe and fun for individuals with ASD!
Go to page: https://indiananetwork.org/summer-safety-tips/
Novel Coronavirus Resources
Every day there is new information coming out about the novel (new) coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Some of this information is science-based and factual, while some is rumor or fiction. When looking for information, it is best to be careful and to check your sources. The following is a list of reputable sources for information on a local, national, and global level.
Share this page with your colleagues, friends and family as it will continue to be updated with new highlights as they become available.
Indiana
The IN.gov Coronavirus Hub contains links to current press releases from Governor Holcomb, as well as a dashboard containing a county-level breakdown of the number of cases, deaths, and tests being counted in Indiana.
- from IN.gov: “General questions from the public or healthcare provider inquiries about COVID-19 may be directed to the ISDH COVID-19 Call Center at the toll-free number: 877-826-0011 (8 a.m. to midnight, daily)”
Be Well Indiana: “This site is an initiative of the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA). All external links have been provided by and vetted by DMHA leadership.Information on this website is up to date and subject to change.”
Be Well Crisis Hotline (Indiana 2-1-1): “Counselors and resources now available 24/7 at Indiana 211 – The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration today announced the launch of the Be Well Crisis Helpline, a confidential resource available through Indiana 211 that will allow Hoosiers to call and speak with a trained counselor 24/7. The free Be Well Crisis Helpline was established by FSSA’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction in direct response to the elevated levels of stress and anxiety Hoosiers are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
- Indiana Department of Education (IDOE)
- Indiana Family & Social Services Administration (FSSA)
- FSSA guidance for various programs and stakeholders regarding COVID-19
- COVID-19 (coronavirus) guidance for DDRS stakeholders
- Food Assistance Availability Map
- Indiana Medicaid allows telemedicine and telephone options for most health care and mental health interactions
- Goal-directed ways to spend time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Integrated Supports for Preparedness
- Indiana Division of Disabilities and Rehabilitative Services
- COVID-19 Visual Communication Card for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing population (mobile) (Print)
- Temporary Policy Changes Due to Covid 19 FAQ
- COVID-19 (coronavirus) guidance for DDRS stakeholders
United States
The Centers For Disease Control (CDC) has a Coronavirus page which branches out into guidance for different situations and answers questions about staying safe and healthy.
- Autism Society (of America)
- The ARC of United States
- CDC
- Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation, Georgia Tech
- Department of Education (DOE)
- Organization for autism research (OAR)
- Ohio State University, Nisonger Center – COVID-19 Resources
- UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute Autism Team
- May Institute – Expert Columns on Coronavirus Topics (e.g. “Adults with ASD Coping with COVID-19“)
- National Center on Intensive Intervention:
- Supporting Students with Intensive Needs during COVID-19
- Returning to School: Considerations for Students with the Most Intensive Behavioral Needs.
- Job Accommodations Network (JAN)
- IES:REL (Regional Educational Laboratories)
The World
The World Health Organization (WHO) Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic page is compiling information about the disease from across the globe to better understand the situation.
Medical Journals & Articles
- New England Journal of Medicine
Resources for Individuals with ASD and More
- HANDS in Autism
- Social Narrative: The Coronavirus and Staying Healthy
- Visual Schedule: Washing Hands
- Social Narrative: Coronavirus and Wearing Masks
- Social Narrative: Coronavirus and Public Safety Rules
- Family Voices
- Easter Seals DuPage & Fox Valley
Seniors with ASD
What information is available on how to support seniors with ASD?
Currently, not much information is available on how to support seniors with ASD. However, we know that age and severity of autism are tightly linked, where the severity of autism tends to grow with age across such situations as social communication, coping with change or generating new ideas or solutions (Charlton, 2016). But here are some resources: