Being quarantined at home for two weeks is a daunting thought for most, but the restrictions take on a whole other meaning for those with special needs and their loved ones.
One Cloverdale mom whose family is finding ways to cope after returning from a trip to Florida, acknowledged the exercise is important in helping prevent the spread of COVID-19, in the event one of them picked up the virus while they were away.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all symptom-free 鈥� so far,鈥� Christine Williamson said Monday, of herself, husband Chad, daughters Jennah and Mikayla and her in-laws. 鈥淲e just want to make sure we鈥檙e not a part of the problem, and we want to stay safe.鈥�
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Still, the impact COVID-19 has had on the routines and therapies that Mikayla needs to help manage daily life as a person with autism and other diagnoses has been severe.
In short, 鈥渋t鈥檚 crisis mode,鈥� said Williamson, noting the sentiment is one shared by many families who have special needs children.
And, the quarantine 鈥� which, for the Williamsons, ends Monday (April 6) 鈥� has only exacerbated it.
Usually, workers and therapists are in and out of the Williamson family home every weekday, helping 18-year-old Mikayla with everything from managing her behaviours to schoolwork. But now, 鈥渟he has none of that,鈥� her mom said.
鈥淔or kids on the autism spectrum, routine is everything,鈥� Williamson said, describing her daughter as 鈥渜uirky and funny,鈥� with a love of reptiles and swimming, and a knack for the artistic.
鈥淓verything that they do is regimented. It鈥檚 how they have order in their life. And so she has none of that. On top of that, we鈥檙e now quarantined. We can鈥檛 go to the park, we can鈥檛 do anything.鈥�
To make matters worse, 鈥渂ecause we don鈥檛 have answers, we can鈥檛 calm her fear and anxiety of it.鈥�
鈥淗er meltdowns are worse and more frequent. Her level of being able to cope is not there.鈥�
No stranger to struggles, however 鈥� the family has weathered everything from layoffs to Williamson鈥檚 own battles with mental illness over the past two decades 鈥� Williamson said an important way that she and her family have learned to cope is to focus on what they can control, rather than what they can鈥檛. Things like the 鈥渢hermostat鈥� in their home 鈥� and not the one that controls the actual temperature.
They鈥檝e set up 鈥榥o-judgment zones鈥� where as a family they can say whatever they need to without fear of judgment or reprisal, and then together, work on coming up with two positives out of whatever was said.
Recognizing the impact of limited space in the home on each occupant has also been important, Williamson said; honouring expressed needs for time to themselves, 鈥渆ven if we might be put out for a bit.鈥�
鈥淛ust a lot of things like that 鈥� being willing to be vulnerable and to speak what it is that we鈥檙e feeling in any given moment鈥� feel what we need to feel and then move on from that.鈥�
They鈥檙e skills that can be applied to anybody, she noted, giving credit to Emotions BC Health and Wellness Society, an organization that formed in 2018 鈥渢o provide and deliver programs and services to families and caregivers of loved ones dealing with emotion dysregulation caused by diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health challenges.鈥�
鈥淓motionsBC was created to eliminate barriers and to enhance health and wellness for loved ones struggling with mental health challenges as well as families 鈥� and therefore, potentially and quite literally, saving lives,鈥� an introduction on the society鈥檚 website states.
Williamson said the society helped their family 鈥渋n some of our darkest moments,鈥� and a desire to return the favour by being a beacon of hope for others drove her and her husband to become involved not just as program participants but also as facilitators of some of the programs. Williamson also now holds the role of administrative assistant.
In these days of social distancing, self-isolation and quarantine, supports are having to be given and accessed in different ways, many of them online. For Mikayla, that means connecting with her therapy team through such avenues as Zoom, with her mom at her side to guide her 鈥� though the sessions are a far cry from the support she gained through her one-on-one therapies.
Williamson said it doesn鈥檛 take a grand gesture to assist families that are struggling 鈥� it can be as simple as offering to add a couple extra items to their own grocery list. Neighbours can also share a tea 鈥渄ate鈥� from the safety of their respective porches, just to check in.
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鈥淧ractical things like that go a long way to break the isolation,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e used to isolation, but this is different,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd because there鈥檚 so much more fear and concern, and there鈥檚 no end in sight, there鈥檚 no game plan. Everyone鈥檚 affected on such a deeper, bigger level, that the sense of community, to me, means that you鈥檙e really checking in on people and giving them a space鈥� to share how they鈥檙e really feeling and what they鈥檙e really thinking.鈥�
Williamson said she also feels 鈥渟lightly strongly鈥� about those who aren鈥檛 taking social-distancing and other recommended or ordered preventative measures seriously.
Acknowledging that she was among those who initially doubted the seriousness of the pandemic, Williamson said her mind changed when she realized how quickly it was spreading and how vulnerable Mikayla was.
鈥淏ecause of all the struggles my daughter has, I am concerned for her safety,鈥� she said. 鈥淪he puts her hands in her mouth all the time.
鈥淚 feel that if people could understand that because we don鈥檛 know what we鈥檙e dealing with, there isn鈥檛 a defense for it. If we could just take a step back鈥� just re-prioritize a little bit, we have a chance to save thousands of lives.鈥�
Williamson said shifting her own mindset around the quarantine from one of 鈥渇eeling like the walls are closing in on me,鈥� to one that looks at abiding by the measures as a gift was an important step for her on Sunday; the halfway point.
As difficult as the journey is and will continue to be for an undetermined time, however, she said she is confident there are brighter days ahead.
鈥淲hen I look at the virus, in and of itself, I feel that we have a lot of skills and resiliency,鈥� she said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not that there aren鈥檛 tears and concerns and unknowns. We have already weathered so many storms鈥� you always find a way to rebuild from the ashes of what you鈥檝e gone through.鈥�
Online resources Williamson suggested include the Emotions BC website, at (for families, caregivers and loved ones), and and (for programs, training and supports for individuals as well as families).
tholmes@peacearchnews.com
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