In response to needs communication by autistic people and their family members during COVID-19, Professor Louise Gallagher has provided us with a webinar on Emotional Regulation.

Over the last few weeks a number of rules have been introduced. We at AsIAm understand the frustration of seeing these rules not being followed. We have provided a social story to help with distress caused by this.

Over the next few months restrictions will be eased in phases. It's confusing that this doesn't mean things will fully go back to normal for a long time so we made this social story to help people understand what is involved in Phase 1.

Masks are becoming an increasingly recommended precaution across the country. However, not everyone is able to wear one due to a variety of factors including sensation and texture. Following a statement from the Minister for Health, we have prepared a letter for autistic people to produce should they be approached about this

When consulting with or treating an autistic patient, it is important to consider they may communicate differently or display discomfort or pain differently to other patients. AsIAm has developed some key points to further advise Healthcare Professionals.

AsIAm has developed a Healthcare Passport for autistic individuals. This passport will contain all personal and medical information a Healthcare Professional may require to meet your needs in the most comfortable way possible during COVID-19.

AsIAm has developed a resource for parents who are having difficulty knowing the best way to explain COVID-19 to children. This resource is suitable for children between the ages of 5 and 12.

Through consultation with the Autism Community, many individuals have
expressed concern about how their dependent would be cared for in the
event their main carer became ill and there was no family member who
could provide support. AsIAm has developed a document to outline the appropriate pathway for carers of both children and adults should this difficult situation arise.

Yesterday AsIAm recorded a webinar with counsellor and psychotherapist Michael Ryan on Managing Worrying Thoughts. This webinar was supported by ChangeX and you can watch at the link below!

Parents and carers of autistic people with diverse support needs may be worried about what could happen if one of them were to get sick. For this purpose we’ve created an Emergency Handover Document to help put a routine in place for crisis scenarios. This can be dowloaded, printed and displayed somewhere prominent within your home in case of emergency.

One of our incredible little community members helped to make this video along with his mother 'For kids, by kids' to explain Coronavirus in a child-friendly way. Well done and we hope to see more videos coming soon!

Please find below a webinar with Occupational Therapist Susan Madigan, with some tips and strategies for 'Structuring an Unstructured World'.

This webinar focuses on supporting autistic individuals in managing the change and unpredictability that COVID-19 has presented Irish society with. Thank you to Michael Ryan and Alison Doyle for their contribution, and to SuperValu for their support in developing this webinar.