Covid-19 Impact on Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability: Study in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on children with autism spectrum disorder and intellectually disabled children from a parent's point of view and statistically significant differences between the responses of parents of children with disabilities about the impacts of the COVID-19 attributed to the child’s sex (male/female), the type of the child’s disability (autism/intellectual disability), the parents’ education level (intermediate or lower/above intermediate). The study used the quantitative approach and used a questionnaire applied to a sample of (217) parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and intellectually disabled children in Jeddah who are registered in governmental and private centers and institutes of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social Affairs. The results of the study showed that the impact of COVID-19 on children with autism spectrum disorder and intellectually disabled children had a high degree. Also, the results showed that there are no statistically significant differences between the responses of parents of children with disabilities about the impacts of the COVID-19 attributed to the child’s sex, the type of the child’s disability, the parents’ education level. The study recommends Involve parents of children with disabilities during rerehabilitation sessions for their children so that they can train their children in desired behaviors in light of some crises such as the Corona pandemic.

Received: 4 August 2021 / Accepted: 23 September 2021 / Published: 5 November 2021