The impact of COVID-19 measures on parent-reported restricted and repetitive behaviours in pre-school children with autism

Boterberg, Sofie; Zanatta, Arianna; Moerman, Floor; Schaubroeck, Sarah; Siew, Jasmine; Schryver, Maarten De; Roeyers, Herbert

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09727

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…As for behavior, ASD-related aggressiveness and stereotypies were worsened by social deprivation (Feige et al, 2021) and changes in routine (Alhuzimi, 2021). Regarding home confinement, parents working from home, owing to a better work-life balance (Ipsen et al, 2021), could support ASD children in mitigating their symptoms (Tokatly Latzer et al, 2021;Zwaigenbaum et al, 2015); however, other studies suggest that the positive effect deteriorated when the lockdown lingered, which increased parents' stress levels (Bozkus-Genc & Sani-Bozkurt, 2022). Sleep habits are also important to investigate, with insomnia and other sleep disturbances manifested by up to 80% of children with ASD between the ages of 4 and 6 years (Posar & Visconti, 2020).…”

Section: Lockdown Impact On Preschool Children With Asdmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although other studies have investigated the effect of COVID-19 on these aspects, they usually focus on older ages, e.g., with regard to remote learning or home activities (Bozkus-Genc & Sani-Bozkurt, 2022), or they focus on single aspects such as sleep disturbance (Bruni et al, 2021) or behavior (Boterberg et al, 2022;Logrieco et al, 2022) rather than providing a comprehensive view, thus making it useful to further explore this topic. Lastly, the clinical implications of the COVID-19 lockdown should also be considered concerning the effect of the interruption of specific therapeutic plans, which probably caused at least the partial loss of the adaptive-relational expertise.…”

Section: Lockdown Impact On Preschool Children With Asdmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Autism in Preschool-Aged Children: The Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown

Termine

Galli

Dui

et al. 2023

J Autism Dev Disord

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The COVID-19 lockdown affected children, especially those with autism spectrum disorder, due to the disruption in rehabilitation and educational activities. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 315 preschool-aged children, 35 of which had autism, to investigate this impact. A questionnaire was administered to explore socio-demographic status, familiar/home environment, and COVID-19 exposure. The clinical features of autistic subjects were also examined. Seven variables were considered to describe the effect of pandemic: Remote learning, Behavior changes, Home activities, Sleep habits, Night awakenings, Physical activity, Information about the virus. The lockdown had a significant impact on Remote learning, Behavior changes, and Information about the virus in participants with autism. Moreover, we found a worsening in repetitive movements, echolalia, restricted interests, and aggressive behaviors.

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Section: Lockdown Impact On Preschool Children With Asdmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Lockdown Impact On Preschool Children With Asdmentioning

confidence: 99%

Autism in Preschool-Aged Children: The Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown

Termine

Galli

Dui

et al. 2023

J Autism Dev Disord

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In general, higher levels of aggression, anxiety, irritability, hyperactivity, impulsivity and lack of attention were found in individuals with ASD when compared to neurotypical children, and higher levels of repetitive, restrictive and stereotyped behaviors were also found in the participants with ASD during the lockdown period when compared to the time prior to the pandemic [21]. The increased presence of restrictive, repetitive, self-injurious, compulsive and ritualistic behaviors can be understood as an alternative way of coping with disrupted routines [22]. Within two months of the onset of COVID-19, almost 60% of children with ASD experienced psychiatric problems, over 50% of children developed new symptoms and about 45% had a worsening of their pre-existing psychiatric disorder [17].…”

Section: Covid-19 Pandemic and Children With Autism Spectrum Disordermentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in Mental Health during Three Waves of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Slovakia: Neurotypical Children versus Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Parents

Polónyiová

Rašková

Ostatníková

2022

IJERPH

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The main goal of our research was to monitor changes in the mental health of Slovak families with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to families with neurotypical children during three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. We focused on the prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress and different stressors of parents. In children, we explored maladaptive behavior and the availability of interventions for children with ASD. The data were collected using an extensive questionnaire including the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-42 questionnaire (DASS-42) and two subscales of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS-3). The research sample consisted of a total of 506 parents, 236 of whom have a child with ASD. Parents of children with ASD reported elevated anxiety during the first wave, while changes were found in parents of neurotypical children. During the second wave, the prevalence of anxiety, depression and stress experienced by parents in both groups increased, but significantly more in parents with ASD children. The internalizing maladaptive behavior of children with ASD also increased. During the third wave, no significant differences between the groups of parents were found in stress and anxiety, but parents of ASD children scored higher in depression. Externalized maladaptive behavior of neurotypical children increased, with minimal changes in children with ASD, which can be explained by the improved therapy availability for children with ASD, also observed in our study.

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The Impact of COVID-19 on the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities: A Systematic Review

Castle,

Sideropoulos,

Jones

et al. 2024

Rev J Autism Dev Disord

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The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted greatly the mental health of children. We performed a systematic review to better understand the impact of the pandemic on children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) across different SEND categories. Following PRISMA guidelines, of 1699 search results, 66 studies were included in our analysis as they met our inclusion criteria concerning: a) children with SEND; b) focus on COVID-19; c) longitudinal or cross-sectional design; d) quantitative or qualitative measures; and e) mental health or well-being outcomes. Our review suggests that there was a typically negative impact on mental health and well-being for children with SEND, yet experiences varied on the basis of individual differences, rather than category of SEND. Findings highlight the need for interventions and policy implementations to improve the everyday mental well-being of this population.

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The impact of COVID-19 measures on parent-reported restricted and repetitive behaviours in pre-school children with autism

Cited by 5 publications

References 65 publications

Autism in Preschool-Aged Children: The Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown

Autism in Preschool-Aged Children: The Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown

Changes in Mental Health during Three Waves of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Slovakia: Neurotypical Children versus Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Parents

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities: A Systematic Review

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