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Disaster preparedness planning is complicated when a child in your family has a disability. Intellectual disability causes my daughter to perceive stressful incidents through a different lens. Her predictable responses (based on experience) were considered as I formulated our disaster plans. The prospect of  K-12 schools closing due to the coronavirus is looming.  Colleges and Universities throughout the country have already begun closing. Coping with unplanned school closings requires planning similar to disaster preparedness planning

Planning is Imperative

When we moved from Los Angeles to St. Augustine, I ditched our earthquake and wildfire plans and for hurricane and flood plans. Miss Bee cannot process multi-step tasks. My goal is to minimize anxiety with simple steps for Miss Bee to follow. We practice in hopes she will be able to function in an emergency.  If her anxiety wins, the plan is to move her to safety.

The coronavirus is an epidemic throughout the U.S. This scary virus has reached our new home state. Stopping the spread will require limited exposure especially for the most vulnerable sick and elderly. Spring break is upon us. This planned break will give our school districts time to evaluate if they will need to remain closed once the planned break ends. Miss Bee will be significantly impacted if our school district remains closed. School closings should become part of your family disaster preparedness plan. I got to work figuring out what will work for my family.

A Step Ahead

School districts throughout the US are making plans to initiate closures. Closing schools will prevent students from accessing free meal programs. School districts and local communities have to figure out how to feed children who will face malnourishment without these meals.  The food must be distributed.

Attending school is much more than sitting in a classroom. Canceling sports, recess, and afterschool activities have already occurred across the country. Physical activity is crucial for all children. Planning for daily indoor movement activities needs to be part of your plan.  Aerobics and yoga YouTube videos and On-Demand programming provide opportunities for the whole family to exercise together. Be sure to clean your yoga mats with Clorox wipes.

Preventing Exposure is Key

Parents plan for school closures during winter, spring, and summer breaks. Families come and go as they please during these breaks and often travel. We make plans for breaks far in advance. We usually travel without a thought about viruses and illnesses. Staying home for an extended period is an adjustment. We planned to visit extended family on a road trip over spring break.  These plans have been curtailed. Exposing my senior parents, with underlying health issues is too risky.

Challenges

Miss Bee struggles with executive functioning, mainly working memory and staying on task. When she is triggered, destructive behaviors follow. I have taken steps to ensure we have enough activities to fill downtime togetherness. Boredom is our enemy.

Preparing Miss Bee in advance and often is necessary to maintain mental wellness. Too much discussion can have the opposite effect of scaring her. Preparation Miss Bee is a balancing act; however, behind the scenes planning is full steam ahead.

We Needed Stuff Anyway

Over the past weekend, I executed my shopping plan. The first step was to explain in simple terms what was happening with the virus. Shopping causes Miss Bee significant anxiety, but when she benefits, it is manageable. A little bartering also makes the medicine go down. Patience and cooperation were what I was hoping for during an IKEA run. If she cooperated, our next stop was to Michael’s for art supplies. Plenty of art projects on hand is part of my plan. Two birds, one stone – you get the picture. Offering Miss Bee pick-out- whatever-you-want-within-a-budget was a math lesson snuck in and the barter. It worked out perfectly.

Prescriptions

Miss Bee and I take several prescription medications. Our prescriptions have been refilled and picked up in case there are shortages and pharmacy shutdowns. OTC meds we typically use are on hand.

Food Supplies

We stocked up on food and cleaning products ahead of the rush. Who knew that TP would sell out! I focused on stocking up on non-perishable items – canned and frozen. The extra supplies will not go waste. Our food budget increased a bit for this month.

I had eliminated chemical cleaning products from our home but did not hesitate to buy Clorox wipes. Don’t forget to plan for pets. Stock up on their pet food and supplies.

Budget Lesson

Miss Bee loves to watch hair and make-up videos on You-Tube. Watching these videos is the only activity she can focus on for sustained periods. She also enjoys practicing what she learns. We were unable to bring her vanity from Los Angeles. It was pretty beat up and not worth the shipping expense. Miss Bee did not have a place in her room to practice comfortably. Our IKEA trip was my remedy.

We went in search of a desk instead of a vanity. Miss Bee needs the extra drawers to store her vast supply of make-up and hair-care products. She chose whatever she wanted within her budget. Another math lesson snuck into the shopping trip. It was heartening to observe her checking price tags and understanding the meaning of her budget. I kept my opinions to myself. This was not easy when she selected an emerald green chair. It turns out she has an eye for design. The pop of color works.

Un-School

School lessons online at home is not going to happen. Miss Bee has a “no-homework” accommodation in her IEP. In her mind learning occurs at school. Everything else happens at home. We have to roll with that. I teach my child all the time but in a traditional way. They are tucked into our natural home environment.

If there is a school closing, we will continue with what works for Miss Bee. I have a few plans up my sleeve.

Baking

Miss Bee frequently asks to spend time in the kitchen. Due to her nonexistent safety awareness, her presence in the kitchen is a challenge. I have no patience to teach her while exercising safety hyper-vigilance.  There are countless dangers in the kitchen. During time school breaks, I give Miss Bee some access to cooking. If her school closes down, we will work on baking skills.

Math, measuring, and learning about ingredients will be part of several lessons. I made sure to stock up on some extra supplies. The beauty of baking is most of the ingredients are already on hand, and they are not perishable. We can bake and freeze the goodies until the flour and sugar run out.

Art Projects

Besides barter, Michael’s was part of my plan. Miss Bee received a $20 budget to spend on whatever art supplies she wanted. We perused the store multiple times. She settled on several painting projects, but she went over her budget. It was Miss Bee’s turn to strike a deal. I forked out the three bucks over her budget in exchange for vacuuming. We have enough art supplies to keep her busy for a while.

By the time we arrived home, the bargain was not so great to Miss Bee anymore. The time-lapse between striking the deal and being home to follow through was too long. Miss Bee became anxious as she felt that vacuuming was a huge job. Sometimes a meltdown occurs before we make it to the car. Other times the gap is no big deal.  Being able to read the signs and act is in my survival handbook. To her credit, Miss Bee grumbled all the way home, she was ignored, and she vacuumed. A deal is a deal! FAS lost today. Score one for mom.

Spring Cleaning

The Clorox wipes are the preferred germ killers for all of our doorknobs, handles, steering wheels, light switches, car door handles, buttons and knobs on appliances, and cleaning the cabinet where the kitchen trash cans are kept. A good cleaning with a helper is a good life skills practice.

If we must stay home, we will use our time to Marie Kondo Miss Bee’s wardrobe. We did not have time to pare down before we moved. She has enough clothing and shoes for two teens.  This will be a challenge and might require some extra motivation.  I am prepared with a few desired items for bartering.  We will stick with our behavior system throughout any possible school closure.

Sewing

During a recent stock-up trip to Aldi, my new favorite store, I found a basic sewing machine for $12.99. This is the bargain of the century. Our home has two front double doors with large frosted windows.  The frost does not provide as much privacy as I would like. A few yards of fabric will be cut and sewed into panels to cover the windows at night. We will use velcro dots to easily secure them. It’s been years since I have used a sewing machine.

Miss Bee can assist and learn about sewing at her speed. There are numerous projects around the house we can tackle, including hemming Mac’s uniform pants and a few mending jobs. We will repurpose old clothing for new projects to keep busy.

Preparation is Key to Coping

It has become necessary to include school closing in your disaster preparedness plan. This is especially important for families with disabled children. All families need to enact their plan BEFORE schools and public places close. I know my daughter’s abilities and participating in on-line school will not work for her. Every activity we have planned and the supplies we need have been purchased. Extra food purchases that are not needed short-term for a school closing will be useful in the future.  Your family will be well-stocked for the summer.

If your family is not prepared for unplanned school closings, now is the time to create one and make the necessary purchases. Make sure senior members of your family and friends are set to stay home with the supplies they need. Ordering for them online will prevent contact. I sincerely hope our family and yours will not be directly affected by this coronavirus. Stay safe and well!