As states across the U.S. figure out how and when to open up following weeks of COVID-19 induced quarantine, special needs families are struggling behind closed doors in unique ways, and will continue to do so, long after their friends with typically developing children return to a somewhat normal life.
As the mother of two medically fragile children, I, and all the occupants in my house, will not be in the first waves of people returning to public spaces or stepping out without a mask and gloves in the next few weeks. We may not be able to return to Mass when the churches in our diocese open, and outside classes and activities may not resume for us until long after other children have returned. Special needs children and adults do not exist in a bubble: their safety relies on everyone in their family and who comes in contact with them on a regular basis – parents, siblings, and anyone else in the home-to remain quarantined.
Read the rest at Accepting the Gift.