مقاله انگلیسی رایگان در مورد عوامل خطر و محافظت کننده کیفیت زندگی برای کودکان مبتلا به اختلال طیف اوتیسم – الزویر 2022

Highlights

Abstract

Keywords

What this paper adds?

1. Introduction

2. Methods

3. Results

4. Discussion

Author’s contributions

Declaration of Competing Interest

References

Abstract

Background
The lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic has been a difficult period for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and their families.

Aims
The aim of this study was to investigate the predictors of the quality of life (QoL) of children with ASD and their parents throughout the first lockdown, providing a snapshot of the impact of the pandemic on these families life.

Method and procedures
A cohort of 243 parents of children with ASD (2–15 years old) completed an original online survey regarding the modification of ASD cores symptoms during lockdown, the type of interventions they had done before and during lockdown and the activities performed by the child. Respondents filled the PedsQL for themselves and their children.

Outcome and results
The data obtained show a worsening of specific ASD core symptoms during lockdown and their role in predicting parents and children’s QoL. Furthermore, protective factors for a better children’s QoL as the Telehealth intervention, and some activities done at home during the lockdown as physical activity and play with parents are identified.

Conclusions
This study identifies the QoL’s risk and protective factors for children with ASD and their families. Furthermore, reveals the fundamental role of the parents as children’s QoL protective factor, suggesting a higher collaboration between families and health care providers, whilst potentially improving families and children’s QoL.

1. Introduction

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) developed into a global pandemic, and to prevent the spread of the virus, authorities imposed restrictive measures in many countries. Italy was the first European country to impose such measures (Government, 2020). Everyone was banned from leaving home except for approved reasons. This measure forced children to follow distance learning guidelines and forced parents to work remotely. Moreover, since most businesses were closed, many people lost their jobs or suffered a severe loss of income (Spinelli, Lionetti, Pastore, & Fasolo, 2020). In the family environment, the educational role of parents became much more crucial than it was before. All educational services were closed, babysitters and grandparents were not allowed to provide support, and contacts with peers were not allowed. Children could rely only on their parents, who then served as teachers, educators and playmates. Many parents also had to start working from home, and balance time and spaces while having to work with children nearby can be very challenging. Indeed, due to the absence of other educative and supportive figures, parents inherited the role of promoting positive development and new learning experiences for their children (Wang, 2020).

This plight was even more challenging for families and children with developmental disabilities (Di Renzo et al., 2020; Hume et al., 2020). One specific and broad subgroup of these families and children are children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The latest revision of DSM American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) adopted the umbrella term “autism spectrum disorder” with two features: difficulties in social communication and social interaction and restricted and repetitive behaviour, interests or activities. Together with the core symptoms, cooccurring psychiatric or neurological disorders and intellectual disabilities are common in children with autism. These two sets of symptoms have a wide range of severity levels, which may be different for each child with ASD (Lord et al., 2020).