Dear Yadav ji , Dear Shalini, In this changing situation, media and social conversations are entirely dominated by the outbreak, and children are exposed to large amounts of information and high levels of stress and anxiety in the adults around them. Simultaneously, children are experiencing substantial changes to their daily routine and social infrastructure, which ordinarily foster resilience to challenging events. Parents would do anything to protect their children from distress and might avoid talking about difficult feelings and events. We need to stay informed, but don’t overdo media. While it is important to keep up to date on the rapidly changing information on COVID-19 in your community, the oversaturation of information can add to stress. Talk to your children and other family members about COVID-19. Choose a safe, comfortable place and time to openly discuss the reason for the changes to their lives. Social narratives, which draw on text and pictures to talk about situations and responses, can be a useful tool. Remember, children may have difficulty expressing their feelings in words and sometimes anxiety, fear and frustration can be expressed through challenging behaviors. Other children may express these feelings through play. Answer their questions and assure them of the shared goal to keep everyone safe. In psycho-physical stress, students face sleeplessness, passing of urine in the bed, anxiety, irrational behaviour, irritation and high risk -taking behaviour. To deal with this please follow the steps - Foster calm. In times of change, opportunities to engage in calming behaviors become especially important, so schedule coping and calming activities into a child’s day and consider ways to introduce new calming behaviors. Create routines. If previously established routines have been disrupted, create new routines for your child. This can help your child feel more secure and understand what is expected of them. This can also be an important way to introduce new behaviors — such as handwashing or behaviors in line with social distancing — into daily habits. Be empathetic. Validate their feelings and try reaching out to therapists and other families in similar situations to brainstorm ideas to address any discomfort and/or sensory, communication, and movement challenges to the extent possible. Show the love. Remind your child of your unconditional love and joy of getting to spend extra time with them. Encourage them to talk about their feelings. Children with disabilities often experience feelings of social isolation from their peers, and social distancing policies related to COVID-19 may amplify these feelings. Give your child opportunities discuss these feelings and brainstorm ways for your child to interact with others through texting, phone calls, and video chatting and other virtual platforms.

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