The psychological and physical pressures on families with children with Down syndrome and autism are increasing, compared to what other families face, in light of the crisis of the emergence of the new Corona virus, as these children usually tend to devise methods and tricks to break free from leaving the home, in A time when everyone must stay home, to prevent the virus.
There are many types and forms of psychological stress experienced by families, but the most prominent is their dependence around the clock to follow-up and the required supervision of their children, to ensure their physical and moral integrity, especially in light of the phenomenon that is known scientifically as "wandering", and means their permanent desire to move from one place to another, Most of them lived in housing unprepared for the different needs and types of disabilities.
Mothers confirmed to "Emirates Today" that their fear for their children to leave their homes in the absence of them prevents them from relaxing or sleeping, indicating their continued feeling of anxiety over them.
They explained that the attempts of their children to leave the house are not limited to the day, but that many of them happen during the late night hours.
A psychiatrist advised families with a person of determination to use assistive devices, such as alarms that issue alarms as soon as doors or windows are opened, so that they can monitor the movement of their children, and prevent them from endangering themselves.
He added that «this solution is tainted by obstacles, because the devices require special budgets», but he considered it «the best solution, especially in the current period».
Down syndrome is accompanied by varying degrees of mental and physical disability and medical problems, and "autism" is the weak growth of the brain or central nervous system. It is characterized by three specific symptoms, namely weak social interaction, poor communication, and the presence of restricted and recurring behavioral interests and behavior patterns.
The mother of a child with Down syndrome told «Emirates Today» her constant suffering in finding ways to ensure that he does not leave the house alone, stressing that he does not stop trying to go outside, regardless of the time or circumstance surrounding him.
She added that the family members surround him, and take turns taking care of him, but he surprises them, trying to leave the house alone.
She said he was watching them to find out where the keys were, and that he had managed more than once to find them, but they managed to reach him before he left home.
She pointed out that the idea of leaving him alone caused great anxiety and tension for all family members, due to the difficulty of continuing to tighten the doors closed at all times.
A mother of a child with Down syndrome also complained of having to follow her daughter at every moment, for fear that she would go out onto the street alone, despite the presence of surveillance cameras throughout the house to follow her movements.
She said, "Despite the small size of my daughter, I managed more than once to place a chair and stand on it to open the door lock."
She expressed concern about the exit, not only from the door, but through the windows of the room, noting that the specifications of the windows do not fit the nature of the disability that her daughter suffers.
She said, "Tightly closing windows and doors requires an electronic system with secret codes and numbers, but this is not a practical solution for other family members."
The problem reaches further limits, for a widow who has three daughters with a mental disability, as she is responsible for maintaining their safety all the time, while her financial circumstances are very limited, and does not allow her to seek home help, or accompany her daughters, to help her care for them.
A father said to a child with a spectrum of "autism", that "the real problem that the families of children with (autism) or (Down syndrome) live in is the need for housing that suits their psychological, physical and mental conditions." He explained that "all the facilities of the house, from windows, stairs and doors And toilets, they must be of certain specifications, appropriate to the condition of disability or the type of autism present in the child.
For his part, the psychiatrist, Dr. Hussein Al-Masih, explained to «Emirates Today» the reasons for the desire of children and adults of determination to go out on their own from the house, stressing that “what they do is not an escape, because they are not aware of the actions that are initiated from them, nor do they realize Its consequences.
He added that «the child from these, when he hears a voice or movement abroad, wants to go out immediately to see what is happening, without realizing that it must be accompanied by anyone».
And Christ said, "This behavior is an expression of impulsivity that characterizes the child's behavior. When he thinks or desires something, he does it immediately, without thinking about the results or the effect of his behavior."
He stressed that «this problem suffers from many families of children who have (autism) or (Down syndrome), where you wake up in the morning and you do not find the child at home, and rush to inform the police and search in hospitals».
He continued, "The people should take their precautions with great rigor and caution, especially in terms of locking doors and windows, day and night."
Regarding the existence of techniques or methods that parents can use to confront children who devise ways to circumvent and go out on their own, Christ said that if a child reaches a stage in which he monitors, innovates and finds a way out, the best possible solution for parents to turn to is to use assistive devices, such as alarms Which alerts when opening doors or windows.
He added that this may be marred by obstacles, because these devices require special budgets, which increases the burdens on them, especially since the costs of their expenses as a family with a member of determination are higher than those of any other family.
It is reported that the Ministry of Community Development is currently implementing distance education and training programs for children registered in its centers, continuing to implement its plans to rehabilitate and care for people of determination with various disabilities, including intellectual disabilities.
Walk around
A psychiatrist, Dr. Hussein Al-Masih, said that there is a phenomenon known scientifically as “wandering”, which is an attribute associated with children with some intellectual disabilities, particularly children with “autism” and “Down syndrome”, that explain their behavior.
He explained that what is meant by “wandering” is the large number of movements, and the desire to move from one location to another.
And he added that if these children wake up at night and find no one next to them, they wander inside the house, and then they leave him to roam outside, and then many of them are lost, because they do not know how to return to the house.
Families: Our homes are not eligible for their disabilities ... and the virus increases our fears.
Dr. Hussein Al-Masih:
"Resorting to alarms that issue alarms as soon as doors or windows are opened, an ideal solution to protect children from exposing themselves to danger."