Remote vs. in-person schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic and internalizing symptoms among children on the autism spectrum

Abstract

BackgroundChildren on the autism spectrum encountered interruptions to their education due to the COVID-19 pandemic (White et al., 2021). This study examined the extent to which autistic children’s anxiety and depressive symptoms during the pandemic were associated with the school format they attended in October 2020 (remote, in-person/hybrid, homeschool), controlling for their pre-pandemic symptoms. Pre-pandemic peer victimization and autism symptom characteristics were tested as moderators. MethodParticipants were 81 verbally-fluent autistic children (Mage = 14.71 years, 77.8 % males), without an intellectual disability, and their mothers; families were part of an ongoing, longitudinal study that began before the pandemic. ResultsSchool format did not significantly predict children’s anxiety or depressive symptoms.Results indicated that the only significant predictors of children’s anxiety and depressive symptoms during the pandemic were their pre-pandemic symptom levels. ConclusionsSchool format did not significantly contribute to variability in children’s anxiety and depressive symptoms during the pandemic, over and above their pre-pandemic symptoms.The results contribute quantitative findings to the growing body of research on pandemic-related effects on autistic children, and underscore the need to account for pre-pandemic child functioning when drawing conclusions about pandemic-level effects.