PHOTOS: Alan Gibson © Life Unlimited Charitable Trust, Life in a Pandemic
Lockdown impact on autistic teenager The impact of several lockdowns in Auckland on autistic children and their parents is captured by Julie Veli who says she and her son had Covid fatigue.
THE SECOND LOCKDOWN was TERRIBLE.
eating what we baked. We were both more relaxed, no pressure no expectations other than to just stay home. Probably because this is the third time going through it.
We definitely had ‘‘Covid fatigue”. We butted heads badly. Harper did not want to do anything, I knew he understood it was Covid but at the same time he was confused, frustrated and sad – and he had no one to take it out on but me. That is how it felt. We did not talk much during that time and we spent our time on different floors of the house. Afterwards when we went back to school and work, we just went back to normal. I think it is because we were happy to be out of the house and away from one another. The three- and seven-day lockdown this year we handled that move much better. We did some baking, we baked cookies. The first lockdown we did not bake because our oven was broken. He enjoyed
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Harper did not want to do anything, I knew he understood it was Covid but at the same time he was confused, frustrated and sad – and he had no one to take it out on but me.
There was a lot more TV, TikToks, Netflix, PlayStation, Nintendo, YouTube this lockdown, and not much going outside. I could not fault it because we were happy, well happier than the second lockdown, we liked each other.
IMPACT OF LIFE IN A PANDEMIC BOOK This will seem vain or selfish. The picture of myself I found confronting, because I looked ugly. My confidence took a hit. I know it showed how I felt. My outside showed how I was feeling inside. I think it is because I try not to show that. I understand the picture went with the story that I told. I saw defeat. I look defeated. It is a true reflection of my thoughts and emotions of me trying and being tired. It showed me vulnerable and I felt that single-parent title. Continued on page 11
ALTOGETHER AUTISM JOURNAL • 2021
