DDS Coronavirus Guidance for
​In-Home Caregivers

This guidance is based on what is currently known about the transmission and severity of 2019 novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is working closely with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide updated information about the COVID-19 outbreak. This guidance will be updated as needed and as additional information is available. Please regularly check mass.gov/2019coronavirus for updated interim guidance. ​

Related Guidance and Resources on COVID-19

*New update: DDS Commissioner Message to Families on May 22, 2020
​Basic Fact Sheets on COVID-19 
DESE Special Ed Guidance for school districts 5-1-2020 link to 
full presentation:http://www.doe.mass.edu/covid19/sped.html
Food stamps/SNAP benefits Change due to Covid-19
COVID-19 Form for people with disablilities when need to go the hospital
Community Services and Resources during Covid-19 
including: 
​Housing + Shelter; Food + Supplies; 
Communiation Needs; Community Supports;
Spiritual virtual Resources; Educational, Health and Well Being;
Emergency Child care programs; 
Masshealth, DTA, RMV, Courtstransportion;
Telehealth Information/webinars. 
New state resource “We all need help sometimes”
 https://www.mass.gov/lists/we-all-need-help-sometimes

         Vitual Classes

Riverside and Bridgewell Family Support have Virtual Classes for yoga, music, art, dance, fitness, etc. Here is the SCHEDULE with links for the Zoom Meetings. 
NEARC has zoom classes as well. 
Contact The Recreation Department:
Recreation@ne-arc.org

NEARC has telehealth for ABA services, social skills(spotslight), tutoring(the learning center) and can contract with DDS, school or insurance.Please call Kristy Murphy at 978-624-2320 or email krmurphy@ne-arc.org 

Useful In-home Educational Links

Crovis-19 Visual Daily Schedule 
Wash Hands Visual 
Social Story: What's Coronavirus from Littlepuddins
BrainPop: Coronaviruse
Scholistic learn at home
Virtural Field Trips with links
Headspace: 
​Miditation practice
5 minutes mindful breathing: 
Stop, Breathe, Think
Go Noodle: mindful activities and fun  videos
More educational resources listed in this chart ​

Service and resources in Local Areas

Helping Children With Autism Adapt to Wearing Face Masks

Research on applied behavior analysis points to two solutions to adapting to new routines: pairing and shaping.
Pairing is a method introducing unfamiliar objects, like a face mask, to children with autism. To appropriately pair the new item, we deliver it to the child along with positive reinforcers. Prior to asking the child to wear the mask, we simply want them to become more familiar with it. We can do this by giving them a mask followed by praise or high fives.  Once the child is comfortable in the presence of the mask, we use shaping to get them to wear it. The goal of shaping is to reinforce each small step towards wearing the mask. With pairing, we simply want the child to enjoy holding the mask. Now we may provide the same rewards for (a) bringing the mask toward their face, (b) touching the mask to the face, (c) allowing us to pulling back the elastic, and (d) fitting the elastic over the head.
It sounds easy, but each step may require several trials. 
 Helping families to support and enhance the lives of special needs children and adults.

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WRAPAROUND FAMILY SERVICES