Managing Editor's Log COVID-Date March 23, 2020

Phew. How are you doing, AofAers? I'm worried about all of you and your families. So many of us have severely affected children, for whom any disruption to routine rocks their world.  This level of change is cataclysmic.   Many readers are themselves people with autism, facing their own challenges.

In addition to helping our loved ones, we have to manage our households and maintain our incomes. I tweeted the other day that this shut down is as if we each retired - with exactly what we have today.  Uh oh! I'm sure many of you are small business owners, and about to face a complete drop in income. Others might be laid off and have to apply for an unemployment system that will be brought to its knees by the sheer volume of applications. If you have college students who are finishing their semesters at home, what happens to room and board payments that you've made?  I'm waiting to see if the Federal government offers some sort of stimulus package.  I assume those who are getting tax refunds will file ASAP.

At AofA, we rely on donor support to keep publishing. Running AofA is my primary income source and how I support Mia, Gianna and Isabella.  I can imagine charitable orgs everywhere about to see steep drop in support as families conserve for what could be a very long haul of work stoppage. I hope not, and time (and PO BOX 110546, Trumbull CT 06611) will tell.  I ran a post on Facebook about the wonderful organization that runs my girls' day program - and added a donate button - for them. I'd like to support so many groups and individuals right now. $20 here or there - I can swing that. Maybe $19.

We're part of AMAZON SMILE - and if you are purchasing strictly online right now, please mark Autism Age as your charity. Those small donations add up quickly, they don't take from your cash supply, and I think Jeff Bezos would be THRILLED to support us, don't you?  The thing about SMILE is that you have to log into the SMILE version of Amazon - here's our link AUTISM AGE AMAZON SMILE if you care to bookmark it.

If you get  my headline reference, let me know. Stay well!

KIM