Children with special educational needs and parental burnout during the pandemic lockdown period

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether children with special needs and their parents had problems with special education needs during the lockdown, and to examine the relationship between the special education process and the parent-child relationship, the level of burnout of parents. Material and Methods: Our study included 283 parents with children registered to a special education and rehabilitation centers in Kocaeli province of Turkey during the 2020-2021 academic year. Sociodemographic data form, Maslach Burnout Inventory and Parent-Child Relationship Scale were given to parents. Results: Burnout of the parents with children with autism spectrum disorder is at a higher level. The development of the children with parents who had high burnout scores regressed. The progress in the development of children whose mothers were employed, whose parents did not work from home, whose family's monthly income was 4501 TL and above, and who received special education for 0-24 months until the restriction period of the pandemic was reported as better by the parents. Parents with children aged 11-below have more positive relationship with their children. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that the closure of special education may play a role in increased burnout and negatively affected children and parents. Monitoring the development process of children and the mood of parents during pandemics or other situations that lead to the closure of special education centres will be important to identify the problem areas and prepare support programmes.