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

Termine, Cristiano; Galli, Vera; Dui, Linda Greta; Berlusconi, Valentina; Lipari, Rossella; Lunardini, Francesca; Ferrante, Simona

doi:10.1007/s10803-023-06078-4

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Similar decreases have been noted in meeting physical activity recommendations for both healthy children [7,28,39,40] and those diagnosed with ASD [41][42][43][44]. The decline in physical activity was evident across various age groups, indicating a significant and concerning downward trend in typical physical rates among children with ASD throughout the coronavirus pandemic [20,[44][45][46][47].…”

Section: Physical Activitysupporting

confidence: 59%

Changes in Healthy Behaviors among Arab Israeli Children Diagnosed with ASD amid the Coronavirus Outbreak: Mothers’ Perceptions

Ghanamah

2024

Education Sciences

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The constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic may have adverse effects on the health behaviors of children and adolescents, particularly those with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study aimed to examine changes in health-related behaviors, including physical activity, screen time, and sleep duration, among children with ASD and their adherence to the 24-h movement guidelines during the pandemic. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted with 46 Arab Israeli mothers of children diagnosed with ASD. According to the responses provided by the mothers, the findings indicate a noteworthy reduction in physical activity, a marked rise in screen time, and a considerable increase in sleep duration amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, there was a decline in the portion of the sample complying with physical activity and screen time recommendations, coupled with an increase in the percentage of children meeting sleep duration guidelines. The prevalence of ASD children adhering to the overall 24-h movement guidelines was notably low during the COVID-19 outbreak. These findings contribute to the growing body of literature indicating adverse effects of the coronavirus pandemic on individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, emphasizing the urgent necessity for healthcare, interventions, and programs tailored to ASD children.

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Section: Physical Activitysupporting

confidence: 59%

Changes in Healthy Behaviors among Arab Israeli Children Diagnosed with ASD amid the Coronavirus Outbreak: Mothers’ Perceptions

Ghanamah

2024

Education Sciences

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“…Several studies have highlighted the impacts of the pandemic on behavioral problems in children with autism ( 16 – 18 , 53 , 54 ). In light of this, we hypothesized that higher levels of child behavioral and emotional problems would be associated with greater adverse economic and employment impacts on their families during the pandemic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on families of children with autism and other developmental disabilities

Pokoski,

Crain,

DiGuiseppi

et al. 2024

Front. Psychiatry

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BackgroundTo control the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), many jurisdictions throughout the world enacted public health measures that had vast socio-economic implications. In emergency situations, families of children with developmental disabilities (DDs), including autism, may experience increased difficulty accessing therapies, economic hardship, and caregiver stress, with the potential to exacerbate autism symptoms. Yet, limited research exists on the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on families of children with autism or another DD compared to families of children from the general population.ObjectivesTo assess impact of the COVID-19 pandemic related to parental employment and economic difficulties in families of children with autism, another DD, and in the general population, considering potential modification by socioeconomic disadvantage before the pandemic and levels of child behavioral and emotional problems.MethodsThe Study to Explore Early Development (SEED) is a multi-site, multi-phase, case-control study of young children with autism or another DD as compared to a population comparison group (POP). During January-July 2021, a COVID-19 Impact Assessment Questionnaire was sent to eligible participants (n=1,789) who had enrolled in SEED Phase 3 from September 2017-March 2020. Parents completed a questionnaire on impacts of the pandemic in 2020 and completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) to measure behavioral and emotional health of their child during this time. Multiple logistic regression models were built for employment reduction, increased remote work, difficulty paying bills, or fear of losing their home. Covariates include group status (autism, DD, POP), household income at enrollment, child’s race and ethnicity, and binary CBCL Total Problems T-score (<60 vs. ≥60). Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated.ResultsThe study included 274 children with autism, 368 children with another DD, and 385 POP children. The mean age of 6.1 years (standard deviation, 0.8) at the COVID-19 Impact Assessment did not differ between study groups. Parents of children with autism were less likely to transition to remote work (aOR [95% CI] = 0.6 [0.4, 1.0]) and more likely to report difficulty paying bills during the pandemic (1.8 [1.2, 2.9]) relative to parents of POP children. Lower income was associated with greater employment reduction, difficulty paying bills, and fear of losing their home, but inversely associated with transitioning to remote work. Parents of non-Hispanic (NH) Black children experienced greater employment reduction compared to parents of NH White children (1.9 [1.1, 3.0]). Parents from racial and ethnic minority groups were more likely to experience difficulty paying bills and fear losing their home, relative to NH White parents. Caregivers of children with CBCL scores in the clinical range were more likely to fear losing their home (2.1 [1.3, 3.4]).ConclusionThese findings suggest that families of children with autism, families of lower socio-economic status, and families of racial and ethnic minority groups experienced fewer work flexibilities and greater financial distress during the pandemic. Future research can be used to assess if these impacts are sustained over time.

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“…show a severe and hazardous downward tendency in usual PA levels in ASD children during the COVID-19 outbreak. [43,[45][46][47][48]. Social restrictions including online education and treatment, and home quarantine commendations have limited the participation and engagement of ASD children in physical education practices, sports, or other methods of school-related PA; consequently, a lessening in outside play might give rise to deteriorated PA [22,49,50].…”

Section: Physical Activitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Alterations in Healthy Behaviors in Arab Israeli ASD Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Ghanamah

2023

Preprint

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The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic limitations may negatively affect children and youth in terms of health behaviors, and it might be especially challenging for children who are diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders such as children and youth diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The present study assessed alterations in physical activity, screen time, and sleep duration of ASD children and the prevalence of meeting the 24-hour movement guidelines during the COVID-19 outbreak. Forty-six Arab Israeli mothers of children with ASD were surveyed by an online cross-sectional survey. As reported by the mothers, the results show a significant decrease in physical activity, a significant increase in screen time, and a significant increase in sleep duration during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the proportion of the sample who gained the physical activity and screen time recommendations lessened while the percentage of children who met the sleep duration guidelines increased. The prevalence of ASD children who achieved the overall 24-hour movement guidelines was very small during the COVID-19 outbreak. The outcomes extend the body of knowledge regarding the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders and highlight the need for instant healthcare and interventions and programs for children with ASD.

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

Cited by 3 publications

References 58 publications

Changes in Healthy Behaviors among Arab Israeli Children Diagnosed with ASD amid the Coronavirus Outbreak: Mothers’ Perceptions

Changes in Healthy Behaviors among Arab Israeli Children Diagnosed with ASD amid the Coronavirus Outbreak: Mothers’ Perceptions

Economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on families of children with autism and other developmental disabilities

Alterations in Healthy Behaviors in Arab Israeli ASD Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic

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