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A View from the Bridge (during the COVID 19 pandemic)

For the first time in its history of 15 years, Sethu Centre was compelled to close its doors due to the 21-day nationwide lockdown. It’s been very hard, both for us, as well as the children and families who depend on us. The team at Sethu have been working extra hard from home to ensure that our administrative responsibilities are attended to and we remain available to our clients through email, phone calls, WhatsApp, Google Hangouts and Zoom. The experience has been extraordinarily heartening for the entire team.

A few days ago, I spoke to the mother of 11-year old Atharv (name changed) who was scheduled to meet me for an assessment this week. The family lives in Kerala and were set to travel all the way to Goa, to get some guidance on how to better support their child, who has autism. The COVID 19 pandemic turned their plans upside down! In our commitment to reach out I called them to find out how they were coping and to discuss their concerns. They were worried that Atharv often lapses into 'his own world' at home when he has nothing to do. This has gotten worse after the recent closure of all schools. His mother’s repeated entreaties and reminders do not work. I was able to advise her on the use of a visual schedule to provide structure to Atharv's day and help him understand what is expected of him. I could also email information about the advantages and different ways of using visual structure to promote learning and compliance. Atharv's parents were most grateful that I had reached out and their effusive thanks had me close to tears.

We are all facing a huge crisis of isolation and for parents of children with special needs, times like this are more stressful. Fortunately, there are ways of connecting that are entirely risk free and do not need masks and handwashing! As helping professionals, our relationships with the children and families we work with are critical to our own mental well-being. Nothing feels more energizing than knowing that despite the lockdown, we can still be there to help in our own small but meaningful ways.

At Sethu, we have an answer to COVID 19.

It is COVID 20 - Coronavirus, Our Vaccine Is Determination!

Yellow, Like the rising sun is what I associate with tomorrow - Dr. Nandita de Souza (Pediatrician & Director, Sethu Centre for Child Development & Family Guidance)

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