The Experience of Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Analysis

Abstract

Abstract Families with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face a unique set of challenges with the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic and shelter-in-place related to a diverse set of issues, including explaining COVID-19 and safety precautions in a comprehensible way, building structure in home for e-learning to take place, and guiding children back into social situations and the community. We sought to obtain direct feedback through semi-structured interviews from fifteen parents of children and adolescents from a non-public school for children with level 2 and 3 ASD to both develop an initial guide for families, teachers and clinicians caring for children with ASD and to create awareness in the community about the challenges presented by COVID-19 and shelter-in-place.