Effects of School Closures Resulting From COVID-19 in Autistic and Neurotypical Children

The purpose of this study was to assess differences in negative consequences resulting from pandemic-related school closures between autistic and neurotypical children. We predicted that more negative consequences overall would be reported for children with autism compared to neurotypical children. We also expected to observe differences in the types of stressors reported between these two groups, with disruptions to daily routines more commonly reported for children with autism and stress due to social isolation more commonly reported for neurotypical children. Participants were parents of school-aged children, ages of 4–15 years old, who responded to an online survey (N = 250). Parental perspectives were collected using the Covid-19 Adolescent Symptom and Psychological Experience Questionnaire (CASPE). Parents in the autism group were additionally asked to respond to a survey about autism-specific stressors which may have increased during the pandemic, such as behavioral concerns, therapy disruptions, and hygiene issues. The majority of the respondents (65%) were parents of children with autism and 35% were parents of neurotypical children. Parents of autistic children were more likely to report that their child was negatively affected by routine changes, whereas parents of neurotypical children were more likely to report that their child was affected by social isolation. Overall, parents of children with autism were more than three times as likely to report negative changes in their child compared to parents of neurotypical children. When asked about autism-specific stressors, parents of autistic children reported concerns related to hygiene, behavioral regression, therapy disruption, meltdowns, and returning to school. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and prolonged school closures have disrupted the lives of children. Our results indicate that children with autism are at greater risk for negative outcomes due to emergency-related school disruptions. These findings have implications for educational planning for this vulnerable population for future public health crises.

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Experience of Autistic Children and Their Families During the Pandemic: From Distress to Coping Strategies

10.21203/rs.3.rs-296754/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Claudine Jacques ◽

Geneviève Saulnier ◽

Agnès Ethier ◽

Isabelle Soulières

Keyword(s):

Social Isolation ◽

Social Relationships ◽

Online Survey ◽

Well Being ◽

Professional Services ◽

Autistic Children ◽

Academic Goals ◽

School Closures ◽

Parents And Children ◽

Children's Interests

Abstract Background. As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded during Spring 2020, families experienced multiple upheavals, including lockdown, school closures and ruptures in professional services. We wanted to better understand the experience of autistic children and their families in times of crisis. Methods. 109 parents of autistic children (2.6–18 years) and 56 autistic children (5.75–18 years) from Quebec (Canada) completed an online survey about needs, barriers and facilitators to coping with the pandemic. Quantitative data were analyzed using ANOVA, chi-squares and open-ended questions with thematic analysis. Results. Half of the parents and children considered the pandemic to be a stressful time. Parents who expressed concerns about their child’s development and difficulty managing their child’s behaviors during the pandemic were significantly more likely than other parents to report these concerns before the pandemic, along with the following challenges during the pandemic: social isolation, having to pursue academic goals, feeling powerless over their child’s behaviors and no routine during the pandemic (all p < 0.05). Maintaining social relationships and implementing appropriate strategies, such as a routine, were identified as facilitators by both parents and children. Among children, 92.9% associated technologies with their well-being, but many parents saw too much access to electronics by their child as a barrier, suggesting a need to better understand and use autistic interests. Conclusion. Both autistic children and their parents identified social isolation as one of the main difficulties during the pandemic. We also need to consider autistic characteristics and children’s interests to implement emergency accommodations and services.

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Short report: Autistic parents’ views and experiences of talking about autism with their autistic children

Autism ◽

10.1177/1362361320981317 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 136236132098131

Author(s):

Laura Crane ◽

Lok Man Lui ◽

Jade Davies ◽

Elizabeth Pellicano

Keyword(s):

Lived Experience ◽

Online Survey ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Professional Support ◽

Short Report ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Autistic Children ◽

Personal Experiences ◽

Current Sample ◽

Experiential Expertise

Little is known about how parents talk about autism with their autistic children, particularly among families in which both a parent and child are autistic. Using an online survey, we gathered quantitative and qualitative data from 34 autistic parents (most of whom had told their children about their diagnosis) to address this knowledge gap. There was considerable overlap between the views and experiences of the autistic parents in this study and the largely non-autistic parent samples in previous research. Specifically, parents emphasised the importance of being open and honest about the diagnosis, disclosing the diagnosis as early as possible, individualising discussions to children’s needs and framing the diagnosis positively. There were, however, areas in which the views and experiences of the current sample differed from previous research on non-autistic samples. First, our sample of autistic parents outlined the benefits of their own experiential expertise, which they felt resulted in heightened understanding and empathy with their children. Second, our sample tended not to express concerns about disclosure potentially having a negative impact. Finally, our participants did not express a want or need for professional support with disclosure. Instead, they reported feeling well equipped to support their children using their own knowledge and lived experience. Lay abstract Previous research examining how parents talk about autism with their children has tended to focus on parents who are not autistic themselves. We collected information on this topic from 34 autistic parents of autistic children (most of whom had told their children about their diagnosis). We found similarities, but also differences, between the views and experiences of autistic parents in this research and those reported in previous research (in studies of largely non-autistic parents). Similarities include the following: it is important to be open and honest about the diagnosis; the diagnosis should be introduced/discussed as early as possible; discussions should be tailored to each individual child’s needs; and we should not overlook the challenges associated with autism, but it is important to focus on positive aspects too. Differences include the following: autistic parents used personal experiences in conversations about autism, which was felt to result in increased understanding and empathy with their children; autistic parents overwhelmingly focused on more positive aspects of an autism diagnosis; our sample did not express concerns that discussions could have negative consequences too (e.g. making children more anxious); and autistic parents did not want or need professional support to talk about autism with their children (instead, they felt confident in using their own knowledge/experiences to guide discussions).

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COVID-19 SOCIAL ISOLATION IN BRAZIL: EFFECTS ON THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ROUTINE OF FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN

Revista Paulista de Pediatria ◽

10.1590/1984-0462/2021/39/2020159 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 39 ◽

Author(s):

Cristina dos Santos Cardoso de Sá ◽

André Pombo ◽

Carlos Luz ◽

Luis Paulo Rodrigues ◽

Rita Cordovil

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Online Survey ◽

Intellectual Activity ◽

Family Activities ◽

Daily Routines ◽

Families With Children ◽

Intellectual Activities ◽

Daily Time ◽

Screen Play

ABSTRACT Objective: To identify how Brazilian families with children aged under 13 years face the period of social isolation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, especially regarding the time spent on physical activity (PA), intellectual activity, games, outdoor activities and screen. Methods: An anonymous online survey was launched on March 24, 2020 in Brazil to assess how families with children aged up to 12 years are adjusting their daily routines to this situation. In the survey, each family reported the daily time each child spent in sedentary activity (sum of intellectual activities, play time on screen, playing without PA) and PA (sum of playing with PA and PA). Results: The main findings based on data from 816 children indicate that most parents consider there was a reduction in the time that children spend practicing PA; increase in screen play time and family activities, differences between sex were found regarding screen play time (boys>girls) and in playing without PA (girls>boys), and there was an age effect for all categories analyzed, with a tendency to increase the total time of sedentary lifestyle and complementary reducing the time of PA over age. Conclusions: The household routines of families during the period of social isolation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic confirm the general reduction tendency in PA time during childhood.

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Distance Learning Rehabilitation of Autistic Reasoning

Encyclopedia of Distance Learning ◽

10.4018/978-1-59140-555-9.ch095 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 662-668 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Boris Galitsky

Keyword(s):

Distance Learning ◽

Social Interaction ◽

Communication Skills ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Mental States ◽

Autistic Children ◽

School Aged Children ◽

Patterns Of Behavior ◽

Psychological Studies

Recent psychological studies have revealed that autistic children can neither reason properly about mental states of themselves and others, nor understand emotions (Leslie, 1987; Perner 1991; Pilowsky, Yirmiya, Arbelle, & Mozes 2000). Autism is a multifactor disorder that is characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, combined with repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior, and affects up to 1% of school-aged children in some geographic areas. In this article we are concerned with the strategies of rehabilitation of reasoning to improve communication skills of children with autism.

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School Closures and Returning to School: Views of Parents of Children With Disabilities in England During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Frontiers in Education ◽

10.3389/feduc.2021.666574 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

Author(s):

Susana Castro-Kemp ◽

Arif Mahmud

Keyword(s):

Young People ◽

Physical Health ◽

Future Research ◽

School Closures ◽

Children And Young People ◽

Parental Perspectives ◽

Returning To School ◽

The Impact ◽

Mental And Physical Health

Children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and their families are likely to be significantly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic at various levels, particularly given the implementation of school closures during national lockdowns. This study employed a survey design to assess parental perspectives on the impact of school closures and of returning to school in England, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Eighty-three parents of children and young people with various types of need responded to the survey between September and December 2020. The survey included multiple choice questions and open-ended questions for further in-depth examination of parental perspectives. Results show that: the majority of parents reported that school closures had a detrimental effect on their children’s mental health (particularly those from the most deprived neighbourhoods) and on their own mental and physical health (particularly for ethnically diverse parents and for those whose children attend specialized settings); returning to school was considered to have a positive impact on children’s mental and physical health for the vast majority of parents, despite fearing exposure to the virus; many parents have reported that their children were calmer and happier at home during school closures and became more anxious and stressed upon returning to school. The role of cumulative risk in these children and families, as well as the role of schools as key support agents for the most vulnerable are discussed with implications for future research and policy.

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COVID-19, social isolation and the mental health of autistic people and their families: A qualitative study

Autism ◽

10.1177/13623613211035936 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 136236132110359

Author(s):

Elizabeth Pellicano ◽

Simon Brett ◽

Jacquiline den Houting ◽

Melanie Heyworth ◽

Iliana Magiati ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Young People ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Real Life ◽

Social Contact ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Autistic Children ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Autistic People ◽

Autistic Adults

The COVID-19 pandemic and its policy responses have had a detrimental effect on millions of people’s mental health. Here, we investigate its impact on autistic people and their families using qualitative methods. Specifically, we addressed: how did autistic people experience an increase in social isolation during the initial lockdown? And how was their mental health impacted by lockdown? Autistic and non-autistic researchers conducted 144 semi-structured interviews with autistic adults (n = 44), parents of autistic children (n = 84) including autistic parents and autistic young people (n = 16). We deployed thematic analysis to identify key themes. The enhanced social isolation accompanying the pandemic had a serious and damaging impact on autistic people’s mental health and subjective wellbeing. They spoke of intensely missing friends and more incidental forms of social connection. They also reported intense dissatisfaction with the substitution of embodied, person-to-person connection in health services by online/telephone-based alternatives, sometimes accompanied by serious negative consequences. These findings reveal the fundamental importance of supporting autistic people to maintain direct and incidental social contact during the pandemic and beyond. They speak against established theories that downplay autistic people’s need for human connection and the extent to which they have been affected by social isolation during lockdowns. Lay abstract In this study, we show that autistic people and their families have found it very difficult to deal with the lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Autistic and non-autistic researchers spoke to 144 people, including 44 autistic adults, 84 parents of autistic children and 16 autistic young people (12–18 years old). We asked them about their everyday lives and mental health during lockdown. People told us that they enjoyed having fewer obligations and demands compared to pre-COVID-19 life. They felt that life was quieter and calmer. But people also told us again and again how much they missed meeting people in real life, especially their friends, and their therapists and support workers. People told us that their mental health suffered because they did not have contact with their friends and services. Importantly, many people (including researchers) think that autistic people do not want friends or to be around people. But our results show that is not true. Many autistic people do want friends and to be around other people. Some people’s mental health has been damaged by not being able to see people during COVID-19. Autistic people need support in many areas of life so they can keep socialising and seeing their friends even through difficult times, like pandemics.

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Primary school staff reflections on school closures due to COVID-19 and recommendations for the future: a national qualitative survey

10.1101/2020.11.06.20227108 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Emily Marchant ◽

Charlotte Todd ◽

Michaela James ◽

Tom Crick ◽

Russell Dwyer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Primary School ◽

Online Survey ◽

School Staff ◽

Full Time ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

School Closures ◽

Health And Wellbeing ◽

Home Learning ◽

The Future ◽

The Impact

AbstractSchool closures due to the COVID-19 global pandemic are likely to have a range of negative consequences spanning the domains of child development, education and health, in addition to the widening of inequalities and inequities. Research is required to improve understanding of the impact of school closures on the education, health and wellbeing of pupils and school staff, the challenges posed during reopening and importantly to identify how countries can ensure a safe return to education and to inform policy. This qualitative study aimed to reflect on the experience of primary school staff (pupils aged 3-11) in Wales regarding school closures and the initial reopening of schools and to identify recommendations for the future. A total of 208 school staff completed a national online survey through the HAPPEN primary school network, consisting of questions about school closures, the phased reopening of schools and a return to full-time education. Thematic analysis of survey responses identified five recommendations; (i) prioritise the health and wellbeing of pupils and staff. This includes more focus on wellbeing activities and less focus on attainment/assessments and protecting staff breaks to promote workplace wellbeing; (ii) focus on enabling parental engagement and support. Introduce support sessions for parents and include regular check ins during periods of home learning; (iii) improve digital competence amongst pupils, teachers and parents. Ensure the provision of equipment and training in building digital skills. Offer a combination of paper-based and digital home learning activities; (iv) consider opportunities for smaller class sizes and additional staffing. Ensure support is directed to need whilst providing pastoral care; and (v) improve the mechanism of communication between schools and families, and between government and schools. Ensure that schools receive advance notice of local or national changes in guidance.

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Psychosocial and Behavioural Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children with Autism and their Families: A Systematic Review and Initial Data from a Multinational Online Survey

10.31234/osf.io/7dwce ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Helene Kreysa ◽

Dana Schneider ◽

Andrea Erika Kowallik ◽

Samaneh Sadat Dastgheib ◽

Cem Dogdu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Social Life ◽

Online Survey ◽

High Functioning Autism ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Well Being ◽

Older Children ◽

School Closures ◽

Adults With Autism ◽

Positive Effects

Background: Since COVID-19 has become pandemic, everyday life has seen dramatic changes affecting individuals, families, and children with and without autism. These entail, among other things, more time at home, digital forms of communication, school closures, and reduced support and intervention. Aim: Here we aim to systematically assess the effects of the pandemic on autistic and neurotypical (NT) children, and pursue a pre-registered hypothesis suggested by initial observations that some children with autism might respond comparatively well to a situation of constrained, predictable, and digital social communication during the pandemic. Methods: We provide a systematic review of current relevant work, including 76 papers selected from a database search until February 1, 2021. We then report survey data from several countries assessing activities, well-being (PedsQLTM), and social life in families with autism, and their respective change at various stages of the pandemic. We focus on differences between children with and without autism from within the same families, and on different outcomes for children with high- or low-functioning autism. Results: While children with autism scored lower in emotional and social functioning than their NT siblings, comparable decreases in well-being and increases in anxiety were seen for both groups, compared to before the pandemic. By contrast, decreases in adaptability were significantly more pronounced in autistic than NT children. Preliminary results suggest that changes were comparable for children with high- and low-functional autism overall, but individual differences prevail. Conclusions: Overall, although individual families do report some positive effects of pandemic restrictions, our data give no clear evidence that these generalize across children with autism, or even just to children with high-functioning autism. We discuss significant challenges for children with and without autism that need to be addressed to protect childrens’ well-being under pandemic conditions but also point to potential in the present situation that could be used towards social participation and success in older children and young adults with autism.

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Primary school staff perspectives of school closures due to COVID-19, experiences of schools reopening and recommendations for the future: A qualitative survey in Wales

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0260396 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (12) ◽

pp. e0260396

Author(s):

Emily Marchant ◽

Charlotte Todd ◽

Michaela James ◽

Tom Crick ◽

Russell Dwyer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Primary School ◽

Online Survey ◽

Parental Engagement ◽

School Staff ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

School Closures ◽

Face To Face ◽

Health And Wellbeing ◽

The Future ◽

The Impact

School closures due to the COVID-19 global pandemic are likely to have a range of negative consequences spanning the domains of child development, education and health, in addition to the widening of inequalities and inequities. Research is required to improve understanding of the impact of school closures on the education, health and wellbeing of pupils and school staff, the challenges posed during face-to-face reopening and importantly to identify how the impacts of these challenges can be addressed going forward to inform emerging policy and practice. This qualitative study aimed to reflect on the perspectives and experiences of primary school staff (pupils aged 3–11) in Wales regarding school closures and the initial face-to-face reopening of schools and to identify recommendations for the future. A total of 208 school staff completed a national online survey through the HAPPEN primary school network, consisting of questions about school closures (March to June 2020), the phased face-to-face reopening of schools (June to July 2020) and a return to face-to-face education. Thematic analysis of survey responses highlighted that primary school staff perceive that gaps in learning, health and wellbeing have increased and inequalities have widened during school closures. Findings from this study identified five recommendations; (i) prioritise the health and wellbeing of pupils and staff; (ii) focus on enabling parental engagement and support; (iii) improve digital competence amongst pupils, teachers and parents; (iv) consider opportunities for smaller class sizes and additional staffing; and (v) improve the mechanism of communication between schools and families, and between government and schools.

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Speech-Language Pathologists' Perceptions of School-Based Services for Children With Hearing Loss

Language Speech and Hearing Services in Schools ◽

10.1044/2019_lshss-19-00040 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 51 (2) ◽

pp. 469-478

Author(s):

Sarah Allen ◽

Robert Mayo

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Online Survey ◽

Working Relationships ◽

Speech Language Pathologists ◽

School Aged Children ◽

School Based ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Positive Feelings ◽

Children With Hearing Loss ◽

Perceptions Of School

Purpose School-aged children with hearing loss are best served by a multidisciplinary team of professionals. The purpose of this research was to assess school-based speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) perceptions of their access to, involvement of, and working relationships with educational audiologists in their current work setting. Method An online survey was developed and distributed to school-based SLPs in North Carolina. Results A significant difference in access to and involvement of educational audiologists across the state was found. Conclusions This research contributes to professional knowledge by providing information about current perceptions in the field about interprofessional practice in a school-based setting. Overall, SLPs reported positive feelings about their working relationship with educational audiologists and feel the workload is distributed fairly.

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