Page 22 - CJA Spirit Spring 2021

had been disrupted – and while the real-life, personal interaction,
everyone has been affected in they’re focusing on the silver lining.
some way by the pandemic, many “What’s good about it, is the level of
children with autism are especially parental involvement is increased,
affected by changes to routine. and so we’re shifting our focus away
“A lot of children with autism from the relationship between
thrive when there is a routine in the therapist and the child to that
place, when they know what to triangular relationship of therapist,
expect, when things are predictable,” parent, child,” says Hormberg.
“ The majority therapy. We help parents see that to help coach parents where maybe
Hormberg says. “We do that in
“We are seeing it as an opportunity
we didn’t have those opportunities
and create a certain routine so
of learning
before,” Wingertsahn says. “So now if
they can be successful. They know
happens in what happens next. There’s no a parent has concerns for mealtime,
underlying anxiety about ‘what
we can say ‘Great, show me.’ And
play. It’s a happens after I brush my teeth?’ they can pop up on the laptop or
open their phone or a tablet and
or ‘where do I go today?’ So when
chance to you have a big shift, like we’ve all we are absolutely able to see what
practice real experienced with the pandemic, I that routine looks like and jump in.
-BRIDGET HORMBERG ’09 ” for everyone. So we’ve been working could put in, and we can say, ‘Try
A parent might have ear pods they
think that’s just unsettling, like it is
life scenarios.
this instead.’ So it’s like live coaching,
with parents a lot on: well, this is
chaotic, but how can we create some
predictability within the day?” and in the best possible format,
because we are able to see from a
The way that Hormberg, bird’s eye view into the home and
Wingertsahn and other Blue Stars what those routines really look like.”
therapists have been working
with children and families has Play: The Occupation
drastically changed since St. Louis of Childhood
City and County governments Both Hormberg and Wingertsahn
recommended that St. Louisans emphasize that while parents of kids
stay home. The therapists are now with special needs may now feel like
using telehealth through remote they need to fill the roles of parent,
platforms to communicate with teacher and therapist, it’s best for
parents and children. While they miss the child if the parent just focuses

Hormberg and Wingertsahn recommend letting
children play with masks to normalize them.

20 SPIRIT MAGAZINE SPRING 2021