Covid-19 Salgınının Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu Olan Bireylere Etkisi ve Ailelerinin Başetme Stratejileri İle Uzaktan Eğitime Yönelik Görüşleri Üzerine Nitel Bir Çalışma

Abstract

Most studies on individuals with ASD and their families during the pandemic were conducted via online data collection with short question-answers. For a more in-depth understanding, we have conducted a qualitative study to understand the extent of the impact of the early stage of the pandemic on children with ASD. The findings in this study were obtained from two groups of participants. The first one included 92 parents or caregivers of children with ASD from six cities in Turkey. The participants in this group reported 159 negative behavior changes in 28 different behavior types. We also selected 32 parents, some of them from the first group, to investigate their coping strategies, use of online education, and expectations from institutions and organizations. We found mixed evidence about the impact of the pandemic. Whereas most families report increased anxiety and stress, aggressive, obsessive and repetitive behavior, violence towards self and others, a significant number of families declared improvement in speech, social communication, academic skills, and eye contact. They explained that parents’ spending quality time and paying close attention to their children’s needs led to positive developments in their children. The participants also stated that online special education for children was dysfunctional and inefficient.