Madam Nur Hidayah Shahrudin used to take her son Rizq to parks or to Changi Airport every week so he could practise walking with his pacer gait in large open spaces.
But as social distancing and circuit breaker measures were put in place in recent weeks, her seven-year-old son, who has cerebral palsy, has had to make do with the confines of his family’s four-room flat.
Lessons at Rizq’s school, Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore School, have moved online and his parents are now his “teachers”, helping him with therapy exercises.
School closures have thrown up challenges for many families, more so for parents of children with special needs, who have to juggle working from home and ensuring the children adjust to new routines and do not regress, now that the full range of support services is not available.
Madam Hidayah, 33, is concerned that the time away from school will result in Rizq withdrawing from friends.
Some parents are concerned that their children’s learning may stagnate. Ms Cindy Dermawan, 44, whose 11-year-old son has autism and attends Pathlight School, said: “If this is prolonged, I’m not sure if what he has learnt at home will be adequate for any exam.”
Parents may also have difficulty explaining to non-verbal children, or those with moderate to severe autism, why routines have changed and why they must stay home.
Madam Annette Chua, who looks after three boys with mild autism, said: “Sometimes it gets very overwhelming because there is no personal downtime.”
Her day is spent guiding them through their work and video-conferencing sessions. In between, she handles tantrums and meltdowns.
Ms Jean Loo, co-founder of inclusive arts movement Superhero Me, said: “(Parents) are working from home, cooking, cleaning, managing the other typical siblings.”
To support parents, Ms Loo recently started a series of Facebook live videos, with professionals giving tips, like self-care exercises. She is also holding online workshops, with artists performing, singing and reading stories to children.
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Source: The Straits Times, 20 April 2020