The positives of COVID-19 and Autism

When the pandemic began in March 2020 it felt like the world had been put on hold - everything closed in Deepcut including my tutoring business, schools and businesses as a result of a nationwide stay at home order but also because of an inner want to stop the virus from spreading. Since I had a loved one in residential care in Leicestershire, this also meant the end of in-person visits and family time.

I think its fair to say that the past year has been challenging for all of us but particularly for those who appear normal with hidden disabilities - and their families. However we were able to adapt to our new normal by way of wearing face masks whenever I went out, constantly being at home, not seeing people in person, etc. We have all had to make adjustments to our lives and I wanted to dedicate this blog to some of the benefits, or gifts of having autism.

1. The world actually slowed down for once!

2. I got to be a fly on the wall in the day of a social worker.

3. Technology helped me to study biology and chemistry and to keep in touch with friends.

The world slowed down for once!

All of my extracurricular activities and similar social events were cancelled - after having a busy 2018 with our marriage, we didn't quite know what to do with ourselves. However, I have come to like the slower pace of life - stressors such as frantically getting ready for work in the mornings and having to frantically hurry home to eat dinner in time for an extracurricular activity were all no longer necessary. We now eat (more or less) home cooked meals every night. I managed to claw back some time with my wife and, for the first time, I was able to see her at work as a social worker. From the perspective of having autism it was interesting to see the world slow down and socially isolate themselves, something which, over the years, I have gained experience in as I have felt the need to socially isolate myself to reduce sensory overload. The outside world has become quieter and I felt a relief from having to attend parties, appointments, spontaneous appointments from others, or strangers getting too close.

I got to be a fly on the wall in the day of a social worker

Since Lucy (my wife) works full time, pre-covid times I missed out on a lot in her life, especially around work days and the activities that she completes. Being home together, has given me an opportunity to see what truly goes on in the day of a social worker. It has also given us the chance to speak more during the day; we can have snacks and lunch together - something which never would have happened before COVID. One of the dominant themes that came out of this was observing the solidarity in social services teams as everyone came together remotely to achieve the same objectives.

Technology has helped me to study Biology and Chemistry and to keep in touch with friends

I have been spending a lot of my time reading about Biology and Chemistry to A-Level standard, and have realised just how complicated the natural sciences really are. Therefore one of the benefits of social isolation at home has been the chance to focus more on my special interests. It's been interesting to see how many of my days have been filled with intense study, interspersed with periods of relaxation.

The scientific progress resulting from sequencing genomes and studying large sets of genes has encouraged scientists to attempt similar systematic studies of sets of proteins and their properties (such as their abundance, chemical modifications, and interactions) - an approach called proteomics. Proteins, not the genes that encode them, carry out most of the activities of a cell, therefore, if we are to better understand the functioning of cells and organisms (such as COVID) we must study where and when proteins are produced in an organism, as well as how they interact in networks.

Regarding online support, I did have some anxiety over face to face zoom calls and trouble managing the back and forth of conversation and would rather communicate via whatsapp or through blogging.

Review of other studies

From reviewing other studies, it has become apparent that I am not the only one who found that they were both more relieved from social stress, but also found the loss of social contact difficult. The change in routine was initially stressful, but pleasant at the same time because there was a reduction in sensory and social overload. The governments constantly changing advice was chaotic and I wished there was more guidance specifically for those with autism. I found that the lack of clarity and some of the accompanying distress led me into situations where I avoided activities that were still allowed, as I was afraid to break protocols.

The pandemic had an impact on my mental health and I was prescribed low dose Aripiprazole to help combat some of the thoughts I was experiencing. There is therefore a need for more research on the impact of Covid-19 and autism - as a special educational needs ('SEN') teacher, I've noticed that other autistic children have suffered with mental health problems during the pandemic. Some of which I report to have suffered insomnia, low mood and anxiety. There is a need to help children with special educational needs structure their days (i.e. by creating new routines that fit into pandemic life). Many of the 'SEN' children I teach on a one to one basis previously had a clear daily or weekly routine that was disrupted by the pandemic. Autistic individuals often emphasize the importance of structure in their daily life to help maintain their mental health and therefore, as a consequence of the pandemic, they experienced difficulty with having to create a new routine by themselves.

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