Navigating Difficult Life Periods: Technology for Your Child and Self-Care for Parents

During these difficult life periods, your child may need additional support to process and manage what they’re experiencing. As a parent, you may find that you are also emotionally and physically drained, needing to find ways to support both your child and yourself simultaneously.

Thankfully, there are strategies and tools, including assistive technology (AT), that can help. In this blog, we’ll explore how AT can support your child during challenging periods and how parents can use technology to prioritize their own well-being.

Understanding Difficult Life Periods: Beyond Everyday Challenges

Difficult life periods often have a significant emotional component, which distinguishes them from daily challenges. They tend to be ongoing, more intense, and sometimes unpredictable, affecting both the child and the parent in different ways. Here are a few examples:

• Behavioral Regression: During difficult times, a child may revert to behaviors they had previously outgrown. For example, they may lose interest in certain activities, refuse to use their AAC device, or experience sleep disturbances.
• Emotional Dysregulation: Children may find it harder to control their emotions, leading to frequent meltdowns, aggression, or withdrawal. For neurodivergent children or those with emotional and sensory sensitivities, these moments can be particularly tough to navigate.
• Social Challenges: New social dynamics, the loss of friendships, or adjusting to new environments like a different school or therapy setting can heighten your child’s stress, causing them to act out or withdraw.
• Medical or Developmental Transitions: For some families, receiving a new diagnosis or adjusting to a new medication or therapy can disrupt their routine, leading to confusion and frustration for the child.

As a parent, it’s critical to recognize when a difficult period is more than just an isolated challenge and requires a more sustained, empathetic response.

Part 1: Supporting Your Child with Assistive Technology During Difficult Periods

Assistive technology (AT) can play a critical role in helping disabled children navigate difficult life periods. Whether it’s through enhancing communication, improving emotional regulation, or easing transitions, the right tools can make a world of difference.

1. Enhancing Communication During Difficult Emotional Phases

When children are going through difficult periods, they often struggle to articulate their feelings. This can lead to frustration, which may manifest in meltdowns, aggression, or withdrawal. AAC devices (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) can provide children with a crucial outlet for expressing what they are going through.

• Using AAC to Navigate Emotions: AAC devices like Proloquo2Go or LAMP Words for Life are fantastic tools for children who need help communicating during tough emotional times. Parents can add core vocabulary words or phrases that focus on emotions like “sad,” “angry,” “confused,” or “scared.” By encouraging your child to use these words during emotionally charged moments, you are giving them a tool to express their feelings more constructively.
• Creating Personalized Scripts: For children who are Gestalt Language Processors (such as those who use echolalia or scripts), creating personalized scripts on their AAC device can help them navigate difficult life scenarios. For instance, if they are struggling with a new school environment, you can add scripted phrases like “I’m scared of new places” or “I don’t want to go today, it’s too hard.” Practicing these scripts can help ease their anxiety and give them an outlet for their worries.
• Core Boards and Feelings Pages: For children who respond well to visual aids, digital core boards with a dedicated “feelings” page can be a powerful tool. Apps like CoughDrop or Snap + Core First allow you to customize core boards that focus on emotions and feelings. With a few taps, your child can indicate how they’re feeling without needing to verbalize it, reducing the frustration of being misunderstood.

2. Social Stories and Video Modeling for Difficult Transitions

Many children find transitions—whether physical or emotional—especially challenging. Whether it’s adjusting to a new school, managing social changes, or adapting to a medical diagnosis, assistive technology can help ease these transitions by providing children with a clearer understanding of what’s happening.

• Social Stories: Social stories are an excellent way to break down complex or emotionally difficult scenarios into simpler steps. Platforms like Social Story Creator & Library allow parents to create customized stories that reflect the situation their child is going through. For instance, if your child is facing a new school year or transition to a different classroom, you could create a story that walks them through the process, explaining what will happen each day in simple terms.Stories like “Going to a new school can be scary, but I will meet new friends and have fun” or “When I feel scared, I can tell my teacher” can be invaluable in helping your child feel more in control of their situation.
• Video Modeling: Some children learn best by watching others in similar situations. Video modeling tools, like Model Me Kids, provide short, realistic videos of children navigating tough life scenarios—such as making new friends, facing anxiety, or dealing with sensory overload. These videos help children learn social cues and behaviors, making it easier for them to cope with new situations.

3. Managing Emotional Regulation with Calming Apps and Tools

One of the most challenging aspects of difficult life periods is helping your child manage their emotions and regulate their stress levels. Thankfully, several assistive tools and sensory supports can provide comfort and stability.

• Visual Timers: Apps like Time Timer provide visual representations of time passing, helping children understand how long they will have to wait or how much longer an activity will last. This can be especially helpful during transitions, which are often anxiety-inducing for children going through tough times.For instance, if your child has difficulty transitioning from playtime to homework or therapy, using a visual timer can provide a sense of predictability and help them mentally prepare for the change.
• Sensory Supports: Sensory input can have a calming effect on many disabled children. Tools like weighted blankets, fidget toys, or sensory swings can help children self-regulate when they are feeling overwhelmed. Noise-canceling headphones are another essential tool, particularly for children who are sensitive to loud or unexpected sounds.Apps like Calm or Stop, Breathe & Think also provide mindfulness exercises specifically designed for kids. These can be used to guide your child through breathing exercises or calming meditations when they are feeling particularly stressed.
• Wearable Technology: Devices like the TouchPoints wristbands, which deliver calming vibrations to reduce stress, can be a great tool for children who struggle with anxiety during transitions or emotionally difficult periods. These wearable devices are easy to use and can provide comfort during stressful moments, such as doctor’s appointments or new experiences.

Part 2: Supporting Yourself as a Parent During Difficult Life Periods

While helping your child through a tough period, it’s easy to forget about your own emotional needs. However, parents need to find ways to care for themselves as well—especially during periods of prolonged stress. Assistive technology and other digital tools can help you manage your own well-being during these times.

1. Using Mindfulness and Stress Management Apps

When your child is struggling, you might find yourself constantly putting out fires, leaving little room for self-care. Fortunately, there are apps designed specifically for parents that provide quick moments of respite, even during a busy day.

• Headspace: This app offers short, guided meditations that can help you find calm in the midst of chaos. Whether you have 5 minutes or 30, it’s a great way to pause, reset, and regain emotional balance.
• Ten Percent Happier: Built for people who feel like they “aren’t good at meditation,” this app provides easy-to-follow mindfulness techniques designed to build emotional resilience. It’s especially helpful during periods of prolonged stress, offering tools to stay grounded even when things feel overwhelming.

2. Mental Health and Mood Tracking

It’s important to keep track of your mental health, especially when dealing with extended periods of stress. By using mental health tracking apps, you can observe patterns in your mood and well-being, helping you recognize when you need extra support.

• Bearable: This app allows you to track your daily moods, habits, and symptoms, giving you a comprehensive picture of your emotional health. If you find that your mood has been consistently low for several days or weeks, you can use this data to reach out for help—whether that’s scheduling time for yourself, seeking counseling, or asking for additional support from friends or family.
• Daylio: For parents who prefer a more visual way of tracking emotions, Daylio allows you to log daily moods and activities with simple emoji icons. Over time, you can see trends in your emotional well-being, helping you identify which activities or events may be contributing to your stress.

3. Planning for Respite and Delegation

Caring for a child during difficult life periods is emotionally and physically draining, and it’s okay

to ask for help. Several digital tools make it easier to delegate tasks and arrange for respite care when you need a break.

• Care.com: For parents who need respite care, Care.com is a platform that connects you with professional caregivers. Whether you need someone for a few hours or long-term support, finding respite care can be an essential way to recharge and take time for yourself.
• Cozi: This family organizing app is a great tool for delegating tasks to other family members or friends. You can assign chores, set reminders for appointments, and manage everyone’s schedule in one place. By sharing responsibilities, you can reduce your overall stress load, ensuring that not everything falls on your shoulders.

Part 3: Building a Long-Term Support System

Difficult life periods often require more than just short-term solutions—they call for a long-term support system that ensures both the child and the parent receive ongoing care.

1. Collaborative Care Plans

When your child is going through a prolonged tough time, it’s essential to ensure that all caregivers are on the same page. This is where collaborative care plans and communication apps can be extremely helpful.

• OurFamilyWizard: This app allows you to create shared calendars and care plans with other caregivers, ensuring that everyone involved in your child’s care is up-to-date on routines, therapies, and transitions. Clear communication is key during difficult periods, and this app helps ensure that there are no misunderstandings or gaps in care.
• Google Keep: If your caregiving team includes friends, family members, or outside professionals, you can use Google Keep to create to-do lists, reminders, and shared notes that everyone can access. By delegating tasks and clearly outlining responsibilities, you can take some of the pressure off yourself.

2. Community Resources and Support Networks

Sometimes the most valuable support comes from those who have walked the same path as you. Parent support groups, online communities, and local disability organizations can provide much-needed emotional support during difficult life periods.

• Mighty Networks: This platform allows parents to join private communities centered around specific topics, such as parenting disabled children, navigating new diagnoses, or managing behavioral challenges. Being able to connect with other parents who understand your journey can provide both practical advice and emotional support.
• Peanut: This app is designed to help parents find and connect with each other, whether it’s for emotional support or advice. It’s an easy way to build a support network of like-minded parents who are going through similar experiences.

A Few Last Words

When your child is going through a difficult life period, it can feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. You’re not only managing their emotional needs but also trying to find ways to maintain your own emotional and physical well-being.

However, with the right assistive technology tools, emotional regulation strategies, and support networks, you can create an environment that helps both your child and yourself navigate these difficult moments. From AAC devices and social stories to mindfulness apps and respite care, there are countless resources that can ease the burden on both sides.

At the end of the day, remember that it’s okay to ask for help. You don’t have to do it all alone. By building a sustainable support system, incorporating assistive technology, and prioritizing self-care, you can weather these difficult periods with more ease and compassion.

Until next Monday, stay connected and keep advocating!