The pandemic has impacted us all in one way or another. Whether it’s the loss of work, the financial implications, working from home or not being able to get the shopping you need. We’ve all noticed a difference. But what happens when young people who are already struggling with the world we knew pre-Covid, have their world turned upside down, everything they knew had changed. Their routine is different, they learned from home. They couldn’t see their peers. Their environment had changed. Imagine how scary this must be. It’s not surprising that anxiety levels have been on the increase given the pandemic and continue to rise with the uncertainty that new variants or restrictions can bring.
Explore the studies
Lau et al (2020) suggested that anxiety is present in many people with Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC) between 6-18 years. They suggested that there are two types of anxiety (generalised anxiety and ASC-related anxiety). Half of the responses were ASC-related anxiety such as sensory needs, specific phobias, or specific worries about change. The other half were worries about social, weather, natural disasters and animals. Lau et al (2020) found that the more severe the ASC, the more likely the anxiety was related to ASC rather than common-related worries.
Furthermore, a second study discussed the impact of people with ASC, anxiety, and the pandemic. They found that depression and anxiety had increased for people with ASC and without. But a greater increase in anxiety was shown for those living with ASC. They reported that although social stress reduced, they felt the loss of social contact. They worried about pets, work, getting medication and food and their safety, whilst they did find comfort in reduced sensory input.
Learn five ways to manage anxiety
So what can we take from these studies? What do they mean for you as a family caring for someone on the autistic spectrum?
- Create a flexible routine
- Talk and focus on the positives
- Give young people the opportunity to ask questions
- Use terminology they understand when explaining about reducing infection. It might be that they understand ‘quarantine’ more than ‘social distancing
- Make use of video calls to reduce isolation and even for appointments (Spark For Autism, 2021)
Self-care is more important during the pandemic. Make sure you are looking after yourselves as well as supporting the young people who you care for.
References
Lau, Boon Yen, Leong, Ruth, Uljarevic, Mirko, Lerh, Jian Wei, Rodgers, Jacqui, Hollocks, Matthew J., South, Mikle, McConachie, Helen, Ozsivadjian, Ann, Van Hecke, Amy, Libove, Robin, Hardan, Antonio, Leekam, Susan, Simonoff, Emily and Magiati, Iliana 2020. ‘Anxiety in young people with autism spectrum disorder: Common and autism-related anxiety experiences and their associations with individual characteristics’. Autism 24 (5), pp. 1111-1126.
Oomen, D., Nijhof, A.D. & Wiersema, J.R. (2021). ‘The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults with autism: a survey study across three countries’. Molecular Autism 12, (21).
Sarris, M. (2020) Managing Anxiety During a Pandemic: The effect on Children and Adults with Autism. Available at: https://sparkforautism.org/discover_article/managing-anxiety-during-a-pandemic/ (Accessed: 4.11.2021)