Photo courtesy of Buffy Louk

For Guthrie County native Katelyn Sheley, the COVID-19 outbreak has forced her to stay home from work, limit contact with her family and friends, and stop enjoying some of her usual hobbies and routines. As she is diagnosed with autism, handling the upheaval of normal life doesn’t come easy.

The 27-year-old lives in a group home in Carroll, and while she has two roommates and support staff to frequently interact with, she now must spend most of her time at home, and cannot visit her family in Guthrie County, go shopping, or pick up her favorite frozen coffee drink. Her mother Buffy Louk is a paraeducator for the Panorama School District, and she says the disruption of routine for the special needs students she works with and for her daughter has been difficult, “It has affected her life greatly and then we don’t get to see each other like we were before and she doesn’t get to come home she doesn’t get to go to her dad’s house, she doesn’t get to go on outings and so it’s hard for both of us. It’s just, it’s really hard.”

When the State began issuing closures for schools and businesses Louk said that’s when she had to explain the virus to Sheley, and try to make her understand that these social limitations are not just imposed on her, but everyone. Louk asks Sheley about COVID-19,

Louk: “What do you know about coronavirus?”

Sheley: “Wear a mask and stay home.”

Louk: “What else do we do?”

Sheley: “Pray to God that it goes away.”

Limiting physical contact with Sheley is not how Louk expected to celebrate World Autism Month, but she still promotes positivity and tries to keep Sheley stimulated with activities like fingernail painting and pottery. She hopes sharing their story will focus more of the public’s attention on those with developmental disabilities who are learning to cope with this disruption in their lives.