Name: How the coronavirus pandemic affects parents of special needs children
Uploaded: 2020-04-06T05:35:37.000Z
Duration: 7 min 39 s
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being a parent is, of course, never a cakewalk.

Adverbs of degree

That's an entirely new set of challenges so many of us are having to entertain and educate our Children while still trying to do our jobs.

The burden is especially unique for parents of Children with special needs.

And, as Devin Dwyer reports, there's is an inspiring story of resilience on the front lines, right at home from outside the front door, a glimpse of life around the kitchen table in a pandemic.

Danny is medically fragile, so the just the virus itself would be pretty devastating to him.

Parents Meghan Scully and Krista Baht of Washington, D.

C, are now full time caregivers for their four year old son.

Danny was a rare brain disorder, putting him at increased risk of Cove in 19 1 of the fights for us is keeping the front line for us here at home instead of possibly having to go to the hospital as we talk outside, Dani's two year old brother, Elliot, keeps that distance.

Ah, a little because, like what if Danny catches it like, What if I catch it?

If I catch it, I would probably have to stay in my room all day, maybe for kill weeks and, like, I wouldn't get to see him medal for that long.

And also if I came out of my room and went into his room and I struggled with him, he could catch Cove in 19 and he could be diagnosed and I could die.

It's a sobering reality affecting so many families.

Rob Gorski of Ohio tells us he's overwhelmed my dad to three artistic.

So one of the things that he has right now is compromising new system.

20 year old son Gavin Gorsky in the middle shows us his pump for Jean infusions to boost his immune.

Oh, it's pretty stressful worrying about trying to keep him healthy and safe by not exposing him to anything.

The gorse keys haven't left their Ohio home in three weeks, testing their patients with each other and communication skills.

Father Rob invited us to join a family conversation.

We're doing what we have to do to protect your brother?

Is there any message that you guys just want to to tell people about?

Always turn friendlies to stay relaxed and stay calm.

Stick with your parents like we stick with our dad and he's the best dad we could ever have.

If you see him right now, it's the love and laughter that many parents say is keeping them going.

Girlfriend 10 year old Mariah Winchell, who has autism and down syndrome, gave us a tour of her quarantine life at home near Boston.

Her parents posting a daily schedule to keep learning on track.

Word of the day yesterday was bacteria mom Melissa behind the camera, showing us the science experiments.

The living room now home to Mariah's cardboard rocket ship and sentenced diagrams.

How concerned are you that her development, her socialization, is gonna be set back in a big way?

I'm I'm really concerned that new normal, coming without many of the usual supports those home health aides, therapist, coaches, teachers and, most of all, routines.

Danny de Bob was just beginning to learn how to communicate when the pandemic close to school.

We are home schooling, a second grader, and we are trying to get Danny's therapies in to the best that we can.

But we just cannot replicate what they can do at school.

And you're holding down two full time jobs at the same time.

Single mother Opal Foster of Southern Maryland worries about the impact of isolation on her son Jeremiah, who has Down syndrome.

There's a lot of things that they're used to in the regular routine that they're not going to be getting.

We're working on kind of getting a zoom or Skype meeting together so that you guys can see each other.

And after losing her job at a printing company last month, Foster now wonders whether they'll stay financially afloat.

We just don't know how long it's gonna last.

I mean, uh, I would love to say that, um, everything will go back to normal tomorrow.

You just snap your fingers and everything would be back.

So we're ending the three hour shipped here.

I'm switching off Mariah and I wrote a story today.

Melissa Windshield, like so many parents now toggle ing between daycare and her day job.

A full time university professor still lecturing, grading papers and advising hundreds of students.

Among that Mariah is still struggling to understand the loss of normalcy.

The grief almost feels fresh to them every day, almost like they're re experiencing it all over for the first time.

So we're having a lot of, you know, just daily crying.

How do you explain to her what a pandemic is?

It's to the point now that she calls it Stupid Corona virus.

So you know, when she says, Oh, I can't I see therapists so and so today I say, You know why?

The stress, many parents tell us can seem Anandhi.

The lack of adult contact is, is is pretty challenging.

I love my kids, and if I could be unlocked out of anybody and my kids some, I'm glad I happened, but it does.

It does sort of take its toll when you get a break.

I guess I don't I don't think so much about how to get through it.

I just I just know that my kids are relying on me and I have to do whatever I have to do.

I am on the couch for the second time since noontime today because I am just so tired.

We're tryingto next sense of this trying to keep a positive attitude with me.

Jeremies, always a beacon of sunshine, is it is.

It may not be pretty, and it may not be joyous, and it may not be how you want to get through something, but you'll get through it.

And there is, uh, there's something on the other side reminding all of us.

There's light at the end of the tunnel and in those we love.

I think this sense that nothing is permanent.

Um, that life's not a given that life so fragile, huh?

That's I think, what disabled family Snow.

And I think that's the wisdom that we're bringing into the experience of quarantine and intercourse.

Life is so fragile indeed, our thanks to Devon for that look at some remarkable families.

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