Psychosocial and Behavioral Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children and Adolescents with Autism and Their Families: Overview of the Literature and Initial Data from a Multinational Online Survey

Abstract

Since COVID-19 has become a pandemic, everyday life has seen dramatic changes affecting individuals, families, and children with and without autism. Among other things, these changes entail more time at home, digital forms of communication, school closures, and reduced support and intervention. Here, we assess the effects of the pandemic on quality of life for school-age autistic and neurotypical children and adolescents. First, we provide a comprehensive review of the current relevant literature. Next, we report original data from a survey conducted in several countries, assessing activities, well-being, and social life in families with autism, and their changes over time. 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. While individuals with autism scored lower in emotional and social functioning than their neurotypical siblings, both groups of children showed comparable decreases in well-being and increases in anxiety, compared to before the pandemic. By contrast, decreases in adaptability were significantly more pronounced in autistic children and adolescents compared to neurotypical children and adolescents. Overall, although individual families reported some positive effects of pandemic restrictions, our data provide no evidence that these generalize across children and adolescents with autism, or even just to individuals with high-functioning autism. We discuss the increased challenges that need to be addressed to protect children and adolescents’ well-being under pandemic conditions, but also point out potentials in the present situation that could be used towards social participation and success in older children and young adults with autism.

Psychosocial Functioning and the Educational Experiences of Students with ASD during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Poland

“…Previous studies of the potential effects of pandemic on the psychological well-being of adolescents with ASD are contradictory, as it shows both negative and positive impacts of the pandemic on the psychological well-being of people with ASD [ 33 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ]. Studies conducted in many countries have indicated the significant changes that occurred in the functioning of many people with ASD during the pandemic.…”

Patterns of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Admissions Before and After the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Clinical Study from Istanbul

“…Maybe the most striking result of the present study is the pronounced increase in the rate of admissions of patients with ASD to our clinics. This nding, which was also shown in other countries, is in contrast with the opinions that children with ASD already are spending their lives at home with their strict routines and have a very limited number of people in social contact; and pandemic might not affect them as much as children with other diagnoses like ADHD which have signi cant bonds with society [10,11]. Since the early days of the pandemic, we had phone calls from families, reporting their children with ASD were more irritable, having more frequent repetitive behaviors, having di culties to get to sleep, and in some kids, less interest in verbal and non-verbal communication.…”

Mental health impact of COVID-19 on Saudi families and children with special educational needs and disabilities in Saudi Arabia: A national perspective

“…Similarly, many individuals with SEND have been shielded due to the increased risk of infections and severe forms of COVID-19 ( 41 ). As a result, these individuals' access to the support provided by schools and other help and rehabilitation services has been largely restricted, leading to increased depression and anxiety and worsening of problematic behaviors ( 42 , 43 ). One of the important factors explaining this effect is the loss of daily routine and disruptions to regularly scheduled activities ( 44 , 45 ).…”