The dreaded date. (I kinda wish I could add sound effects to this blog- I’d add the Jaws Theme Music here…) August 10, August 10… that date keeps flashing through my mind with that scary Jaws Soundtrack playing ever since I saw the Minister of Education say that all schools should be starting by that date for the new school year.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m DYING for Teo to go back to school and get back into routine. I miss my routine. Going for a run, being able to cook or work without distractions, listening to the news without worrying about how it will affect Mateo- I miss all these things. And traditionally, I am that meme parent who drops her kid off at school on the first day and takes off running to celebrate. You know those memes…
Yup! That’s ALL me. However, this year, I’m so torn. On one hand, I can’t wait to get back into routine. I know Mateo will be excited to go back as well. I know he NEEDS to go back. On the other hand, though, with COVID-19, I have to admit I’m scared and conflicted.
Concerns…
Over the past 24-36 hours, I’ve been contacted by several moms who are also scared and conflicted by the thought of our kiddos going back to school. Here’s why:
Regression- Although we are trying to work with our children and following the work the school gives us, it’s hard to know where our kids are at and where they will be by August 10th. This is a worry, I think, for all moms with children and teenagers. We recognize the hard work the schools have been putting in to help our kids and keep the learning going. But we know; it hasn’t been the same. For moms with special needs children and teenagers, it’s worse. A lot of our children’s learning also needs to be social. The nature of social distancing and self-isolation means that our kids haven’t been getting what they desperately need.
Adjustments- Our children and teenagers on the spectrum depend on schedules and routines. By August 10th, it will have been over 4 months of a totally different routine or lack of routine altogether. So transitioning back to school might cause all sorts of issues. Will our kids be able to adjust to the noise of the classroom? How long will they be able to sit and work and focus after 4 months (what can be a life time if your child is special needs)? Will we have to start from the beginning, teaching them to wait and to understand simple social cues and rules again?
Unknown Factor- What will school look like by August 10th? Will we go back to full days? Or will it be combination online/in class? What’s best? How will our schools keep our kids safe? Hell, at home, it’s hard to keep them washed and cleaned. How will a teacher make sure all 20 or 35 children are washing their hands and following the guidelines? Classrooms were small to start with, so how will they handle social distancing? We have so, so many questions.
The Mask- Most importantly of all, is how risky will it be to send our kids to school? I’ve seen online, parents with typical children wondering how their child will wear a mask (if they have to do so by this time) all day in this intense heat. It’s a valid concern. For us special needs moms and dads, we have to wonder, what if our child won’t even wear a mask or keep it on for more than 5 minutes? I’ve spoken to many who said they can’t even get the mask on the child’s face. So what then?
Other Health Concerns- So many of our special needs children and teens also have other health issues. One mom told me her child is also asthmatic. Another tells me that her child has seizures. Even if the schools allow our special needs children to NOT wear masks, are we then taking a greater chance of exposing our already vulnerable children and teens to COVID-19?
So What To Do?
We have so many questions and concerns. I also know that it’s not just us special needs parents that are thinking like this and worrying about starting school again. Parents in general have concerns. Teachers and School Administrators have concerns. So what do we do? Honestly, I think we just need to wait. I know that’s not what you want to hear right now. This won’t alleviate your fears, I know, but the situation keeps changing so rapidly. We have no clue what July will bring, much less August.
Bear With Me…
The way I see it is, let’s wait and see how things are in July. Are there more cases? Are the borders open? What have the schools put in place? Then, after accessing the situation, I can reach out to those who can help us- the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Human Development. We can share our concerns with them, talk to them and see what they recommend. It’s too early to do that now, but yes, before August 10th, we will need to do this.
Government and the team helping to make these decisions have been working hard – and succeeding- to keep us healthy. So I am pretty confident that they will listen and take our concerns into account to help us together decide on a way forward for our special needs kiddos.
So for now, take a breath. Do yoga. Go for a run. Pray. Do whatever you need to do to help shut off that Jaws theme playing in your head. You are not alone; we share your concerns. And even as I write this, I can’t turn off that Jaws theme either. Know this though: Autism Belize WILL be reaching out to try to address these concerns. We WILL be keeping you updated. We WILL work with our partners and reach out to those in government who are already trying to help us.
Strength In Numbers…
In the meantime, I really do need all parents/caregivers, professionals working in this field, and other supporters to please fill out the Join Autism Belize form. This helps me create a mailing list to keep you up-to-date on all our activities. Furthermore, it gives us an idea of how many really share our concerns. There is strength in numbers.
