Page 45 - Healthcare News July-August 2020

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JULY/AUGUST 2020 WWW.HEALTHCARENEWS.COM 45
SPECIAL NEEDS
Remote Lessons
Pathlight’s Whole Children Program Makes an Impact Online
By MARK MORRIS
When COVID-19 hit
and outside activities suddenly closed, Jody Santos had a concern that was com- mon among many parents with young children: filling the day for her son.
Unlike most kids, however, 12- year old August is on the autism spectrum. When school and his activities with the Whole Children program at Pathlight suddenly came to a halt, it led to bouts of not just boredom, but anxiety and depression.
“For young people with a disabili- ty, the pandemic has been a perfect storm for putting them at risk for isolation, depression, and anxiety,” Santos said. “With so much uncer- tainty, children start to regress and go back to some of the habits we work so hard to overcome.”
For several years, August has taken classes with Whole Children, which offers recreational, social, and enrichment programs specifi- cally designed to help children and teens with intellectual or devel- opmental disabilities, as well as those with autism. It’s one of many programs at Pathlight, a Green- field-based provider of services for clients of all ages with such dis- abilities.
Before COVID-19, Assistant Direc- tor Julie Hooks said, Whole Chil- dren offered in-person classes six days a week. Some were based on
a theme, such as ‘yoga dance’ and performing-arts classes. Because many with autism gravitate to com- puter work and gaming, a bank of laptop computers was also available as a theme-based activity.
Other classes were discussion-
Amanda Kent plays a board game with children in the pre-COVID days.
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