National Autistic Society - Resources for Autistic people and families

https://www.autism.org.uk/services/helplines/coronavirus/resources/helpful-resources.aspx

This is hard for everyone, but we know that for some autistic people of all ages these things could trigger intense stress and lead to a meltdown or a shut down. 

We know many of our supporters are feeling anxious, so we’ve collected a series of resources, which includes, social stories, a new daily schedule template, how to keep children entertained, managing anxiety and much more! Take a look... 

Multi-sensoryworld - on Facebook @multisensoryworld

Worth following for brilliant sensory toy ideas and also ideas how to support your young SEN people during this difficult time

A local family run business who are specialising in different types of sensory toys and sensory items. From babies to adults we aim to help everybody. Multi-sensory world wants to help people choose the right sensory toys and items for them and their children.

On Facebook - Sensory Stuck at Home and Sensory Stuck at Home Teens 

Sensory related ideas and resources to support children at home 

Try to plan your days or weeks to include something from each of the ‘5 ways to wellbeing’

 BE ACTIVE
Try to make sure that you and your family get regular exercise every day. YouTube has lots of exercise videos for kids and adults. Get children involved in planning their own ‘indoor PE’.
Try to get outside once a day either into your garden if you have one or in a place where there are few people. If you can’t go out, open the windows for some fresh air and take some time to look at the world outside.

TAKE NOTICE
Take a break from the news and social media and concentrate on what’s happening in the here and now in your family. Notice and appreciate the small things.
Studies have shown that being aware of what is taking place in the present directly enhances your wellbeing.
There’s lots of good mindfulness apps to try, but if that’s not for you, just getting into something you enjoy e.g. cooking, drawing etc and really focussing on it can be just as good.

CONNECT
Social connection is one of the most important ways that we can look after our mental wellbeing.  Social media is great, but if you can, try to have phone calls or even video calls. Arrange to Facetime/Skype a friend for coffee, phone relatives more often than usual.
Whilst it can be helpful to share worries, try to find other things to talk about too.

GIVE
Research tells us that giving back to our community helps people to feel valuable and makes us happier. We might not be able to contribute to our community in our usual way, but many people will still be able to find ways to give back.
Lots of community groups are setting up schemes that aim to help vulnerable people at this difficult time. If you want to get involved, check out local social media for ideas.
Many of us will not be in a position to offer practical support. We can still offer mutual support to friends and family by checking in with them regularly.

KEEP LEARNING
Learning a new skill or honing an existing one gives us a sense of purpose and achievement.
Whilst we’re busy learning, we’re less likely to experience anxious thoughts and worries.  Try to start a new hobby or learn about an area that you’ve always been interested in.