COVID-19 Resources

Parents have been asking for some COVID-19 resources to help their families deal with the pandemic, school re-openings, and general issues to help with their families' mental health.  Here are some resources that hopefully can help:

YAI Family Reimbursement Application - Reimbursement funding is available for eligible* Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens families to help pay for goods and services that are not reimbursed or obtained through other sources.  Applications for family reimbursement are reviewed by a parent committee. To be eligible, the individual must be living at home with the family and be eligible for OPWDD services.  Although the program is run by YAI, the individuals applying do not need to be YAI clients. Original receipts for goods and services purchased must be submitted with the application.  For more information, please contact YAI directly at (212) 273-6182 or link@yai.org

University of North Carolina Autism Help Packet - This online toolkit developed by an interdisciplinary team at UNC Chapel Hill will help families and caregivers supporting individuals with autism during the COVID-19 epidemic.  It has recently been updated to include information about school re-openings.

Autism Speaks COVID-19 Information and Resources - In partnership with the Autism Science Foundation (ASF), working together with the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) and the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI), the task force has asked autism researchers to create ready-to-use tools for the range of support needs to help people with autism through this crisis. 

Emerson Collective - while we do hope that we do not need to go back to remote learning, it is always best to be prepared.  This link collects some of the best sites for improving virtual learning.

Wide Open School - Similar to the Emerson Collective, this site offers great resources for virtual learning.

Crayola Ideas - this is a great document that presents so many cool ideas for activities in the home using crayons and other drawing materials.