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Virus Lockdowns an Extra Ordeal for Special-Needs Children

Associated Press

   PARIS - Weeks into France's strict coronavirus lockdown, Mohammed, a
   14-year-old with autism, took a pickax and started hitting the wall of
   his family's house.

   His explanation: "Too long at home, too hard to wait."

   The disruptions in daily life caused by the virus pandemic are a
   particularly trying ordeal for children with disabilities and the
   people who love them and are caring for them confined at home while
   special-needs schools and support programs remain closed.

   Mohammed hasn't picked up the ax again since the incident last month,
   his father, Salah, said with relief. But the boy still gets frustrated
   being stuck inside and says, "I want to break the house down."

   The family, like others who spoke to The Associated Press about their
   experiences, spoke on the condition of being identified by first name
   only out of concern for the privacy of their children.

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