Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are characterized by impairments in social interaction and reciprocal communication. During a pandemic, when social distancing becomes mandatory for all, both parents and children are not supported in-person by their therapists and cannot participate in usual therapies. This study reports the main clinical changes experienced by parents of children with during the first month of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. Using standardized questionnaires, the families of 63 ASD children were interviewed in February and April 2020. Findings showed an increase in restricted and repetitive behaviours in about 30% of the sample; also, motor restlessness and sleep disturbances increased, with greater irritability and mood dysregulation. On the other hand, no changes emerged in personal self-care autonomies, in taste/smell sensitivity, and in auto or other-directed aggression. Despite the undeniable negative impact that lockdown can have on the psychosocial well-being of children, having maintained a continuity in supporting families, parental counselling (even if online and not in-person) helped families to redefine the meanings of behavioural changes of their children and to understand their adaptive functionality.
Highlights
Despite the undeniable negative impact that lockdown can have on the psychosocial well-being of children, having maintained a continuity in supporting families, parental counselling helped families to redefine the meanings of behavioural changes of their children and to understand their adaptive functionality
Disorder During the COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy In Italy, regardless of the type of therapeutic treatment, the rehabilitation programmes for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are usually focused on parental support in order to better manage typical symptoms of autism and stimulate the child’s social and communication skills
March-April 2020, during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, physical distancing measures were implemented in Italy, thereby disrupting routines and reducing access to services for families and children with ASD
Summary
Despite the undeniable negative impact that lockdown can have on the psychosocial well-being of children, having maintained a continuity in supporting families, parental counselling (even if online and not in-person) helped families to redefine the meanings of behavioural changes of their children and to understand their adaptive functionality. Everyone agrees that dealing with uncertainty, changes in routine, loss of long-standing coping mechanisms, increased social isolation, and lack of connectedness are important risk factors caused by physical distancing Added to this are the possible increases or flare-ups in co-occurring mental health issues, such as anxiety. The National Institute of Health (ISS, 2020) issued important recommendations for describing the measures currently in place (e.g., social distancing) and even the most negative ongoing events (symptomatic parent at home or hospitalization) to children with ASD through the use of concrete terminology, avoidance of abstract sentences or metaphors, and/or use of augmentative and alternative communication interventions (Logan, Iacono, & Trembath, 2017). Communication impairments may be associated with problems of receptive and expressive communication, limited verbal, or nonverbal skills, and perspective and/or social communication deficits
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