For many adults, the feeling of uncertainty seeps in through information and their attempts to make sense of it. But for neurodivergent children, distress often surfaces differently. It is not always through understanding, but through feeling: a parent’s stiff jaw, a disrupted bedtime, a break in routine, a house that suddenly functions differently. They may not fully grasp geopolitics or conflict, but they can sense when the adults around them are no longer at ease.

The emotional climate and the 'Domino Effect'

So what happens when parents or caregivers of autistic, ADHD, and other neurodivergent children find themselves navigating this complexity — managing their own fears while trying to preserve a sense of safety for children who often rely deeply on predictability, emotional regulation and a sense of calm?

Experts suggest that in moments of distress, what unsettles many neurodivergent children is not just the news itself, but the emotional climate that forms around it. For families already working hard to create regulation and stability, even subtle shifts can have a domino effect.

“Neurodivergent children often process uncertainty and emotional signals more intensely than other children, so even indirect exposure to fear or adult conversation around regional tensions can create a sense that the world is unsafe and unpredictable,” says Zobia Amin, clinical psychologist at RAK Hospital. “This unpredictability makes them more agitated and can lead to regression.”

Zobia Amin, clinical psychologist at RAK Hospital

Identifying signs of regression and distress

That regression, she explains, can show up in many ways. Some children may become clingier or more insecure. Others may experience disrupted sleep, nightmares, frequent meltdowns, or a return to behaviours they had previously moved past from. “They have heightened sensory sensitivity,” Amin says, adding that when the adults around them are struggling to regulate their own emotions, neurodivergent children often absorb that distress too.

At the Dubai-based pediatric therapy programme Hopeful Steps, pediatric therapist Somya Raina says these shifts are already beginning to surface in therapy rooms. “We are noticing subtle yet meaningful changes in some of the children over the last few days,” she adds.

Somya Raina, pediatric therapist

“In sessions, that has translated into children wanting more physical reassurance and showing signs of emotional dysregulation.” However, these responses are not unusual, says Raina. “It’s often a child’s way of processing uncertainty in their surroundings.”

Literal thinking and sensory overload

For autistic children especially, distress can be intensified by the way they interpret information. Amin notes that many autistic children think literally, which can make abstract or frightening news feel immediate and personal. “They interpret news in very concrete ways and believe danger is immediate or happening to them,” she says. 

Children with ADHD, meanwhile, may struggle to shift their attention away from distressing content once exposed to it. “They can become extremely focused and can struggle with regulating attention away from distressing news once exposed. Sudden uncertainty can overwhelm their regulatory system faster than in neurotypical children.”

The safety net of routine

That is why routine matters so profoundly. For many neurodivergent children, routine provides the safety net in such situations. “Routine gives us a sense of predictability, which is processed as safety for neurodivergent children,” says Raina.

“When there is a sudden change, the child’s sense of control may be disrupted and make them dysregulated. Thus leading to frequent meltdowns, irritability and sometimes temporary regression in skills. These responses are not intentional behaviours, they are usually a stress response," she adds.

For parents, one of the hardest parts is that distress does not always look obvious. Particularly with non-verbal or minimally verbal children, anxiety may surface not in words but through behaviour.

“When they are distressed but can’t explain in words, their behaviour indicates what they are going through,” says Amin. That may mean increased repetitive movements, disturbed sleep, avoidance of favourite activities, aggression, self-injury, or loss of previously learned skills.

Decoding behavioural communication

Raina urges parents to observe this change in behaviour as a way of communication. “Observing these patterns — what happens before and after the behaviour — can help parents understand what their child might be trying to express.” 

That insight rings deeply true for Rachel Jerry, an Indian mother in Dubai whose nine-year-old daughter Johanna, a child of determination, lives with Rett Syndrome. “Johanna is non-verbal, so we read her emotions through body language, facial expressions, and behavioural cues,” she says.

Rachel Jerry, Indian expat and parent

“During times when there is heightened tension in the region or frequent news alerts, we sometimes notice small but clear changes. She may become slightly restless, withdrawn, or less interested in activities she usually enjoys," she adds.

Children like Johanna, she says, are often highly responsive to the emotional atmosphere. “Even if they cannot fully understand the news, they sense the energy around them. As parents, we become more observant during such times because their reactions may not come through words but through subtle changes in behaviour.”

Creating a 'sensory safe' home

At home, Jerry and her family rely on maintaining a certain level of consistency. “Our reassurance comes through routine and connection,” she adds. “We keep her daily schedule consistent so she feels safe and grounded.”

They also avoid exposing her to distressing visuals or heavy news discussions, and instead focus on structured, sensory-friendly engagement. “Communication for Johanna happens through visuals, gestures, music, and touch. Music therapy especially helps her regulate emotions because music is her passion.”

Amin also recommends creating a “sensory safe environment”, offering a calming space with soft lights, blankets and favourite toys. She also advises maintaining consistent waking, meal and bedtime routines, using visual schedules and timers where needed, and remembering that “children regulate through adults.”

Raina suggests similarly practical supports at home: emotion cards, reading time, breathing exercises and movement-based activities. “Movement plays a powerful role in regulating the nervous system, for both children and adults, helping release stress and supporting a calmer, more regulated mind.”

Fostering familiarity and flexibility

For some families, regulation comes through fostering a sense of familiarity. Mobashir Nazar, a Canadian parent of a child with autism, says what helps most during moments of overwhelm is returning to “something he loves,” along with therapy and outdoor play. “Engaging him in activities like going to the park really helps,” he says.

Mobashir Nazar, Canadian expat and parent

When schedules changed and school stopped, the family coordinated with their therapy centre to adapt. “As parents, we must treat things as normally as we can, as the UAE government is ensuring we are up to date and fully informed.”

Hafsa Qadeer, founder of ImInclusive, widens the lens further. She points out that invisible, situational, and neurological disabilities are only a few among the many forms of disability that may not always be immediately visible, and that no two individuals experience a condition in exactly the same way.

Hafsa Qadeer, founder of ImInclusive, disability inclusive employment services

“There is no one-size-fits-all response, especially in moments of heightened uncertainty,” she adds. “Within the workforce too, employees may be carrying concerns that are not always obvious on the surface — whether that means caring for a family member with a disability, living with elderly parents or grandparents at home, or supporting loved ones with chronic anxiety or PTSD who may be triggered by something as simple as a safety alert on their phone.”

Prioritising psychological safety and self-compassion

For families living with one or more disabilities, Qadeer believes psychological safety has to become a priority. “That may mean actively choosing environments and routines that support nervous system regulation, whether through hybrid work, working from home, or simply making choices that reduce stress and preserve calm within the household.”

And perhaps this matters just as much for parents, many of whom are carrying their own anxiety while trying not to let it spill over. “The important message for parents is that they don’t need to be perfect,” says Amin. “They need to consider themselves as individuals who have their own strengths, weaknesses and fears.” Raina echoes that sentiment, adding, “Children do not need a perfect parent but a regulated one.”

Evidence-based strategies that parents of neurodivergent children can use to support them include the following:

• Provide the child with sensory safe environment by not exposing them to the news avoid even news in the background. 

• Provide a safe place where they can go to calm down which should be quiet, with calming sensory tools like blankets, soft lights and favourite comforting toys. 

• Reduce exposure to loud or graphic media. 

• Remain calm and composed in front of the children. 

• Try to maintain routine as much as possible with consistent time to wake, meal and bedtime schedule. 

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