The Questions You Can't Get Answered: Hospitals and Autism and Coronavirus

A Facebook friend posted a question in a group which a local friend and I had been asking as well. What happens if our adult child with autism/developmental disability/intellectual disability becomes ill enough to need to go to the hospital? This is something all parents fear, I am sure. But when you have a grown child who has a communication disorder, it brings up a LOT of worries.

The state government agency says hospital policy will make the call.

My local friend called the local hospital and present policy is to allow ONE parent in for a child.

Illness, new locations, new faces can cause shutdown or bring challenging behaviors (which spring from anxiety) but nonetheless need skilled management. Nurses and ER Docs don't reliably have those skills. These professionals are working on solutions for mainstream America - for horses, so to speak, and we have zebra situations with additional wrinkles because of communication challenges, etc.

So I don't have *answers*. But as others write and share good information, I will add links to their posts here, and share on FB and other social media sites. We are all in this together.