Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Dallman, Aaron R
• Perry, Catherine
• Goldblum, Jessica
• Butera, Nicole M
• Boyd, Brian
• Harrop, Clare

Titel

Occupational Disruption: The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Behavioral Inflexibility and Anxiety of Autistic Children

Ist Teil von

• The open journal of occupational therapy, 2022-07, Vol.10 (3), p.1-13

Ort / Verlag

Kalamazoo: Western Michigan University, Department of Occupational Therapy

Erscheinungsjahr

2022

Quelle

EZB Electronic Journals Library

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented changes to the lives of many. The aim of this paper was to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted behavioral inflexibility (BI) and anxiety among autistic children and how autistic children and their families have adapted to COVID-19-related routine changes. Methods: This sequential mixed-method study included two phases. During the first phase, parents of autistic children (N = 48) completed an online survey consisting of the Behavioral Inflexibility Scale (BIS) and the Parent-Rated Anxiety Scale - Autism Spectrum Disorder (PRAS-ASD). During the second phase, a subset of parents (parents of adolescents, N = 11) was invited to participate in a virtual focus-group. Results: The parents reported a wide range of BI during the pandemic (BIS M = 2.03, SD = 1.02, range = 0.21-3.86). Child BI was a significant predictor of anxiety (t[40] = 5.56, p < .0001). From the focus groups, 155 codes were organized into four themes, two of which are discussed in this paper: child client factors that have changed during the pandemic and changes to family routines. Conclusions: In this preliminary study, the parents identified problematic BI and anxiety among their autistic children. The outcomes of this small-scale study indicate that some of the changes to routines brought about by the pandemic may be helpful for autistic children after the pandemic restrictions have ended. We provide a unique perspective on how to leverage occupational changes that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic to aid autistics during non-pandemic times. Comments The authors declare that they have no competing financial, professional, or personal interest that might have influenced the performance or presentation of the work described in this manuscript. Keywords autism, COVID-19, behavioral inflexibility, anxiety