Stress is part of our everyday lives, as we face a global pandemic. For children, a support system is crucial to adequately comprehend and adjust to the changes associated with being home most of the day. Children during the COVID-19 pandemic lost routines that took months to establish with their regular school teacher and staff. Now, imagine how difficult these changes have been for students with special needs, such as children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These “learning losses,” as California Governor Newsom calls them, are significant, and a reason the state may possibly reopen schools earlier, in July or August.
Why Students with Autism Need More Support Right Now
April is Autism Awareness Month, and it’s also likely to be a more stressful month for students learning remotely.
In April 2020, many students are finalizing their school projects, without the usual support of their educators. Whether you are a parent or educator of children child with an ASD, there are resources that can guide you to ensure children with an ASD get the support they need at the end of the school year and to prepare them for a productive summer break. You can access a resource packet for working with a student with an ASD from the University of Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Language Communication Deficits: Students Need Educational Language Resources
Many students with an ASD also have language communication deficits. When a language barrier is added, this is likely to add to the stress of not having school language resources, such as the usual IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) team. IEP resources like speech pathologists, professional educational interpreters and document translation not only offer communication support amid a child’s schooling; resources like these are essential to the future of a child with an ASD.
How We Can Help
If you’re an educator who helps to formulate IEPs and would like to continue to provide language support in the form of professional interpreters and translation, you can count on Continental Interpreting for your professional remote interpretation and translation needs.
Get in touch with us, and continue to provide these services to multilingual students who fall within the autism spectrum.