'This lockdown might just break us': Cork mum on what no school means for children with special needs 

We as a family had to overcome a lot of obstacles, uncertainty and setbacks last year, but the prospect of watching my daughter’s mental health decline again (and my own) is a lot to cope with.

'We have really struggled in the last week. My daughter is once again distressed, and not sleeping.' Picture: iStock

We are all facing the same storm during this relentless health crisis, but the boat that family carers find themselves in is more like a paper boat.

Each time a lockdown was announced, it filled me with anxiety about what lay ahead. Many parents I know who have a child or several children with additional needs, share these feelings on lockdowns.