By Liz Marfia-Ash, GRIN2B Foundation Board President
Dear GRIN2B Community,
We recognize that due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, this is a very uncertain and fearful time for everyone. We are concerned for our community’s safety, well-being and mental health, and we implore everyone to take part in preventative measures to help spread out cases and flatten the curve. We know that many of our families are facing long weeks ahead at home with their children. Change in normal routines can be very difficult on our children impacted by a GRIN2B diagnosis. We have put together the following list of resources to help get you through the coming weeks. We will continue to update this blog post as we learn of additional resources.
Over the coming weeks, we will be working to provide additional resources to help our families. Please reach out to us with any suggestions. Social distancing is hard, but we can do hard things.
Bee strong, bee kind, bee calm and please enjoy celebrating GRIN2B Awareness with us this week.
All our best,
Liz Marfia-Ash, on behalf of the GRIN2B Foundation Board of Directors
Helpful Resources to get us all through the COVID-19 Pandemic:
*Updated with new resources as of 3/20/20
To stay updated on the latest information about the Coronavirus outbreak, we recommend the following websites, as well as your state or country’s health department or national health authority websites.
- CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/
coronavirus/2019-ncov/index. html - NIH: https://www.nih.gov/health-
information/coronavirus - WHO: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public
Educational Resources for Children
Science & Animals
- Free, Easy Science for Remote Learning from www.mysterscience.com
- Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee
- Home Safari Facebook Live with the Cincinatti Zoo
- Georgia Aquarium Webcams
Art
- Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems, Author of Elephant and Piggie
- #ColorOurCollection – Download free coloring books from 113 museums
Reading
- Storyline Online – videos featuring children’s books read by celebrities
- Audible Stories – Free stories for kids of all ages
- The Big List of Children’s Authors Doing Online Read-Alouds and Activities
- Astronauts Reading Stories from Space
Activities and Worksheets
- Stuck at Home? 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch by Andrea Romano for www.travelandleisure.com
- Over 30 virtual Field trips with links
- Khan Academy – offering daily (weekdays) 9 am PST/12 EST live streams on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for students, parents, and teachers navigating school closures.
- Scholastic Learn at Home
- Kiddos Schedule Idea, image from Jessica McHale Photography
- 75+ Entertaining and Educational Activities for When You’re Stuck Indoors from www.learnincolor.com
- 15 Fun Things to do at Home with Kids, by Meriah Nichols (Side note – Meriah Nichols is a fabulous Disability Advocate to follow.)
- At-Home Resources for Kids (and their Grown-ups) from Kiwico
- Greatschools.org – free printable worksheets
- School Closure Toolkit – from Easter Seals Illinois Autism Partnership
Resources for AAC Users
- Coronavirus Social Story by Easter Seals Illinois Autism Partnership
- For Caregivers of AAC Users: Three Things to do at Home When School is Cancelled, by www.kimrankin.com
- AAC Family Fun – Facebook page for AAC families that will be posting tips on how to help keep the growth in AAC fun especially during this challenging time.
- PrAACtical Resources: Dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic, blog post by PrAACtical AAC
- AAC Language Lab
- List of AAC Resources from Rachel Langley, AAC Specialist
Resources for Autism Families
- Resources for Autism and Covid-19, blog by The Autism Science Foundation
Not educational, but here are some cool things to do while stuck at home
- GoNoodle Movement Videos
- Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube
- Disney-inspired Workouts
- Broadway World – Living Room Concerts
- Virtual Rides at Disney World and Disneyland
Resources to Calm You or your child’s Anxiety
- https://www.facebook.com/calm/videos/137661727606661/
- How to Keep Coronavirus Fears From Affecting Your Mental Health, by AJ Willingham, CNN
- Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty, by Doreen Marshall, P.h.D
- 5 Days of Mindfulness Fun for Kids – free e-book
- “How Parents Can Help Children Through Traumatic Events” by Rise Van Fleet, PhD
- “Parenting a Child with a Disability During this Pandemic,” by Ellen Stumbo
- Brene Brown podcast
Recipes (*Please send us more ideas for this list!)
- Best Ever Ground Beef Recipes from www.spendwithpennies.com
- How to Stock Your Pantry for Social Distancing from www.simplyrecipes.com
Music to help keep your spirits up
- Songs to Inspire – GRIN2B Awareness Month 2019 (made by GRIN2B families), Spotify playlist
- Rita Wilson’s Quarantunes Playlist, Spotify playlist
Please let us know of additional resources we are missing!
#beekind #beestrong #beecalm
Thank you Grin2B foundation I’m currently thanking care of 4 granddaughters and 1 with
Grin2B and all are under 7! This information was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! I’ve raised a special needs daughter but times have changed and NEVER experienced anything like this Coronavirus and social separation extended school closing unexpectedly. All of this information was SO VERY USEFUL AND HELPFUL! Nothing else has been so informative! Thank you again!