COVID-19 Resources for Adults on the Spectrum

• Being Autistic & Taking Language about COVID-19 Literally

• Information on COVID vaccine medical exemptions 
• Guide for Neurodivergent People with Needle Anxiety
• Vaccine Peer Support for Autistics in Toronto.  
  Autistics for Autistics Ontario is partnering with the Centre for Independent Living Toronto and the City of Toronto to provide peer support in navigating the vaccine system. If you are an autistic person in Toronto, they have two vaccinated autistic peer navigators who can help you navigate the vaccine access system and prepare for your appointment. Email a4aontario@gmail.com to connect with an autistic peer!
• Manage Anxiety & Stress from the CDC
• Visual Recipes for individuals with autism (Able2Learn)
• Taking care of your mental health in times of crisis
• Self-Advocate blogs: Quarantine And Chill: 10 Fun Activities When You Are Asked To Stay At Home
• Social Distancing, Obsessing, Autism And The Coronavirus
• When the World Changes…
• THOUGHTS ON THE CORONAVIRUS / COVID19 AND THE AUTISTIC COMMUNITY
• Apple highlights apps to help families manage autism amid the coronavirus
• COVID-19 Navigation Guide from CASDA
• Online tool kit ED.UNC.EDU
• COVID-19 Preparedness and Resources by Autism Society
• Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan: Support for Canadians and Businesses
• Other Covid 19 Information and Resources
• 5 tips for parents with children on the autism spectrum during COVID-19 pandemic
• We are Heroes: A Plain Language Guide about Covid-19
  This guide is about Covid-19 and some of the changes to our lives in Ontario. The version with pictures is at the “Full Guide” link, above. This guide was created by autistic people, in Toronto.
• Autism and Covid19 Healthcare Information
  Advice and resources for autistic people during the pandemic written by adult autistic and medical communities.
• COVID-19 Navigation Guide from CASDA
  CASDA knows these are challenging times for our community. We are looking to curate and push out mental health resources (dealing with isolation, stress, anxiety) and ideas and activities that members have created/found helpful.
• Autism, Anxiety and COVID-19
  COVID-19 has profoundly heightened anxiety in the autism community internationally. Our families and organizations are struggling to provide a stable environment for children, youth and adults with autism spectrum disorder. Able adults with ASD are also feeling the strain.
  To mark World Autism Day with a practical initiative, ACT has invited three respected mental health clinicians, who have presented for ACT on autism and mental health, to answer questions on ‘Anxiety and COVID-19’. Wherever you live in the world, in British Columbia, across Canada, or further afield, you are welcome to submit your questions. We will choose the most representative for our panelists to tackle.
• How to cope with disrupted personal routines during COVID-19
  There are heightened emotions all around and for many autistic adults, there are added disruptions to daily living. From appointments being cancelled, to work being closed, to classes being moved online, there are many different factors that could push a person into a crisis mode. Below are some tips you can use to feel more confident with adapting to a new normal.
• Working from home: Developing a new routine
  Employees are working from home as a means of social distancing—a key step in managing the outbreak of COVID-19. For employees on the autism spectrum, this change in routine can be especially challenging. Here are some steps you can take to make your new work routine work for you.
• How To Talk About COVID-19 With People Who Have Autism
  If you care for someone with a developmental disability that affects their communication skills – something like autism – how do you talk to them about the coronavirus pandemic? NPR’s Ashley Westerman had been asking herself that question, so she called someone very close to her.
• Molehill Mountain App (Autistica)
  Molehill Mountain is an app to help autistic people understand and self-manage anxiety.
  You can use Molehill Mountain to explore the causes and symptoms of anxiety. The app was designed and tested with adults.
  • track your worries and the situations that trigger anxiety
  • get evidence-based daily tips to understand more about anxiety
  • feel more confident to self-manage  anxiety
• Spectrum Productions Community Challenge
  We wanted to extend our reach to potential filmmakers out there that don’t have access to our programming and studio. So every 2 weeks we will issue a fun and easy challenge that you can do from home. All you need is a way to film yourself and record audio, this can be a smart phone camera or something higher quality if you do have access to it. The important thing to remember is, this is about having fun and exploring the creative ways we can work with the tools that most of us have. Excited? Let’s Gooooooo!
  Join the Spectrum’s Community Challenge Group on Facebook HERE
• Online Covid-19 Resources from Autistics United Canada
• Online courses, software, academic journals, and apps that you can access for free during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada from Dealhack
• My COVID Disability Q (Kids Brain Health Network)
  CanChild, the Kids Brain Health Network, and the CHILD-BRIGHT Network are happy to announce the launch of My COVID Disability Q., a new Twitter Q&A hub for Canadian children and youth with disabilities as well as family members speaking on their behalf. Using My COVID Disability Q., youth and their family members are invited to ask questions relating to disabilities and the ongoing COVID-19 situation and get credible answers from some of Canada’s leading disability experts working in a wide range of fields including health, research, science, policy, leisure, and wellbeing.
• Peer 2 Peer Groups (Communitech)
  “Communitech’s Peer2Peer groups help professionals in the Waterloo Region tech industry share challenges and lessons-learned in a friendly, informal environment. Peer2Peer groups provide an opportunity for individuals in similar roles or functions to exchange advice and best-practices information. Session formats include guest speakers, roundtables and workshops. “
• Making Mask-Wearing Easier for Autistic Adults and Those with Sensory Needs (Autism Speaks)
  Clinical psychologist Dr. Rebecca Shaffer of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital reviews some easy steps to practice mask-wearing at home for autistic people so that you can be successful wearing masks as communities re-open.
• A Guide to Sleeping with Coronavirus Anxiety (Best Sleep Health)
  Corona Anxiety Sleep Guide from Best Sleep Health.
• Navigating today’s new reality: Tips for autistic people and families to address challenges with COVID measures
• 
  Poster: Guidelines for people unable to wear a mask as required in British Columbia