2023-2024 Update on Coping with the Coronavirus Pandemic Scare

How our lives in the U.S. have changed in just a few years! In early 2020, we heard about "communal social distancing" from public health leadership, from the government, and from the media. Some of us tried to voluntarily comply with the recommendations for it. Some ignored the request; some went into denial; and some believed that other ways of managing this threat of illness were better. What very few realized, however, was that the request for voluntary compliance with this new concept, "communal social distancing," was just the first step in a process that was going to be carried out on a voluntary or mandatory basis.

The decision had already been made that this would be our national response. At first, it looked like it was a bipartisan decision influenced by a sector of society that we don't normally think of as a sector that has so much authority over us. The public health sector has expertise authority. When Covid-19 hit, political leadership from both of our major political parties granted this type of authority to the public health sector.

We will never know for sure if it was the "right" decision or the "best" decision because it is extremely difficult to measure and prove something that was prevented. As a country, initially, we really did come together in early 2020 to "flatten the curve" and prevent Covid-19 related complications from overwhelming the health care system and causing it to breakdown. As Americans, we need to own this victory and feel proud of that early initial effort we all made back in March and early April of 2020.

But after that, things became political and partisan, something that we Americans are still struggling with now in 2023 and 2024. The Emergency Declaration on the part of the government came to an end a few months ago, but the illness has not completely gone away. As we approach "herd immunity," and as new strains of the virus continue to weaken, we can relax and worry less about social distancing and masks when we and those around us are relatively healthy. Please remember the DOSE + HOST formula for illness and please continue to stay away from others and mask up when you think that you might be shedding this or any other virus so that we can continue to function and recover from this traumatic episode as a society. Should we continue to feel proud about our way of handling crisis or is it time to process this pandemic issue by using our THREE R's Approach: Review-Rethink-Renew.

Our public health sector took a major hit with this pandemic. Because of the way the pandemic was used politically by both sides of the political spectrum, many people just don't want to hear any more about it and use the typical post-trauma AVOIDANCE response until something triggers them into a different post-trauma response, the one called HYPERVIGILENCE. We continue to see a third post-trauma response in the escalation of community violence, domestic violence, and self-harm, a post-trauma symptom called AFFECT DYSREGULATION. If you or someone you know is struggling with any of these three post-pandemic trauma symptoms, please call for help.

This crisis, like other crises, will continue to stir up so many different emotional and behavioral responses in ourselves and in others. If you have something adaptive that you want to share with others, a blog or a story, an activity or a creative work of art/music/theatre, please call us so that we can learn more about it and possibly get permission to post it here. Deerwood Family Services belongs to the public, not to those who get it started it or who manage it...

Gender Disparities and Autism

Most individuals who have been diagnosed with autism are male. In fact, it is diagnosed at a rate of 3 to 4 times more often in males (Loomes et al, 2017). However, what appears to be a definitive ratio is much more complex than at first glance. Much of the research regarding Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has centered on males (Giambattista et al, 2021). As such, all of the tools we use to diagnose and support autistic kids and adults are based on a male standard. Additionally, assessment of females is “restricted to areas where they are most similar to males.” (Giambattista et al, 2021). In the process, females with ASD often remain undiagnosed, unidentified, and unsupported, particularly those with symptoms that are not immediately obvious.

There are many reasons that females are underdiagnosed, one of which is gendered socialization. In order to understand this phenomenon, it is important to note that the criteria for an autism diagnosis include social skill and communication impairment. Girls are socialized to be less aggressive and more mindful of the emotions of their peers, and therefore, autistic girls tend to have more vibrant social lives than autistic boys overall. Even when autistic girls are more introspective or quiet, they are thought to simply be exhibiting characteristics of femininity rather than of ASD. They might also be experiencing problems with socializing or communicating, but perhaps not in ways that are apparent. There are subtle but important differences in the manifestations of autism between females and males that are not always caught by standard screening tools (Giambattista et al, 2021).

What does this mean for you as a parent?

If you have a female child who tends to be quieter, be mindful of how she discusses her social interactions. Keep in mind that the traditional screening tools for autism are designed for male children. Although your child may not be exhibiting characteristics of what you traditionally perceive as autism, it may be helpful to seek a professional opinion, particularly if she reports having some difficulties at school socially. Try to keep your own biases in check.

Giambattista, C., Ventura, P., Trerotoli, P., Margari, F., & Margari, L. (2021). Sex differences in Autism  Spectrum Disorder: Focus on high functioning children and adolescents. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 1-13.

Loomes, R., Hull, L., & Mandy, W.P.L. (2017). What is the male-to-female ratio in autism spectrum disorder? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 56(6), 466-474