Restrictions are now easing.

So, what does that mean for the future? While it’s true that people are disagreeing on whether it’s right to open the country back up just yet, people can all agree that the world is not going to be anywhere close to how it was prior to Corona Virus.

Everything is going to change.

And, again, there is no uniform opinion on how bad or good these changes will be. For myself, I am persuaded to think that we are oversimplifying just how complicated the world is when we presume that everyone is going to discover something positive.

Similarly, why should everyone be expected to take away too much bad from this? And should we discard the possibility that people are going to be affected both positively and negatively? We can’t predict the future, nor discount the impact of what we’ve all been through. What I feel I can do, as an Autism and sensory expert, is present people the possibilities and what they may offer to people on the Spectrum and how these individuals can prepare for the future ahead.

It is universally recognised that the emergence of the need for virtual connection and remote productivity in a career and even educational environment, such as school, may not come to an absolute end with the end of the quarantine. For a lot of businesses, it may be much more affordable to operate from home than from an office and no business may be lost as a result if the business knows how to promote itself.

There may be a norm of having workers operate more remotely than they have ever before. The opportunities available for people with anxiety disorders will increase greatly and there now is a considerably prominent possibility for people, who were unable to find employment before, to now find employment! For these people, this could be an exciting time. So many people with anxiety want to contribute to their community but are held back from doing so. But society has demonstrated itself as being capable of facilitating more ideal circumstances for these individuals, displaying more inclusive practices. So, there will not really be too many excuses in the future. I, for one, will be among the chorus of voices that intend to keep businesses accountable and to promote working at a distance.

My hope is for people to actually be able to go to a workplace and thrive, and not need to work from home. It is my hope for businesses to be able to facilitate the supports needed for an anxious individual to make that transition. But even then, there are going to be those who still struggle. And for some people, being able to work at all from home may be the start of that transition process. It is my hope that the outcome from all of this will offer more to anxious and Autistic members of the community who want to contribute, than take away the opportunities for those individuals to fulfil that ambition and to finally contribute in a way that works for them.

And, now, what can be written about the possibilities with schooling Goodness, the crises that are posed to parents of children with Autism who are required to send their children to school is deserving of its own blog article! For quite a few Autistic children, school just simply does not work, and homeschooling is required.

However, it is not a simple black-and-white issue. For many children, their parents work and they need to go to school. School may also be where they can interact with their friends. They may enjoy learning, but they may not cope with the structure and the lack of attention and support for their needs.

However, there are plenty of Autistic children who do well in school and who have not adjusted well to the transition from a school learning environment to a homeschooling environment. I am sure that there have been quite a few tears shed over the past several weeks because of the changes to routine.

In an ideal world, there will be options for everyone. Maybe we are closer now than we have been before. Homeschooling is an option that many families enjoy, and maybe homeschooling will become more mainstream and accessible to families whose children learn in a more hands-on environment than provided by a classroom.

I would suggest that parents who have thrived in home delivery try to explore the possibilities of homeschooling. It is a major commitment, but children on the Spectrum learn more directly. And having a teacher who is attentive to all their needs will be a blessing for them as well. Teachers try their best, but rarely is anyone professionally trained to support a pupil with Autism. There are exceptions, and developments have been observed in the awareness of Autism. But we are still not there yet.

For some families, school is going to work better. It is going to be different for everyone. However, I believe that the Corona Virus has provided everyone with experiences that we can learn from.

I don’t think anyone can correctly predict what will happen in the months ahead.

But whether it is school or work, I am starting to think that this pandemic has offered the Autism community an opportunity to reflect on the possibilities that have been, and the possibilities that now are, and what resources and avenues may now be available for us to help support those with special needs.

I have an inkling that the neurodiversity movement is entering into a new stage of development.

©Nelle Frances 2020