The current pandemic has made instant teachers out of many parents. For those with special needs children, the challenges can be overwhelming. The loss of routine and the cessation of specific therapies place extra burdens on families with children with intellectual and/or physical disabilities.

Adapting to the changes and reduction in services requires patience and resilience. These recommendations may help.

Recalibrate success. The fear and anxiety produced by the pandemic may cause your child to regress intellectually or physically. This is normal. Create smaller goals and celebrate the tiniest progress. For instance, a completed spelling or coloring assignment is a reason to celebrate. In fact, making it through each day is its own accomplishment.

Expect exaggerated behaviors. Most adults can adapt to uncertainty and anxiety. Children more often act out. This may be especially true for children with special needs. If you can pinpoint the reason for the outburst—your child may be hungry or thirsty or overly frightened—you may be able to reduce your child’s frustration.

Set goals. Determine what’s appropriate for your child to learn from day to day and create lesson plans around that. Ask your child’s teacher or therapist for suggestions for daily tasks along with reasonable short- and long-term goals.

Relax the rules. If you were strict about screen time before the pandemic, this is a good time to soften your stance. Alternative forms of entertainment or distraction—computer, video, or television—can be helpful, especially for parents who work.

Make time for yourself. Homeschooling children, with or without disabilities, can be draining, and difficult behavior is especially trying. Take breaks as much as possible, whether that’s during your children’s nap times or while they are distracted by a movie or video game or by tag-teaming with your spouse or an older, responsible child.

You can find more resources at the Child Neurology Foundation.

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COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and Neurologic Disease Resource Center