Challenges and Opportunities for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder during the Pandemic: Parents’ Views in the Limelight

Judiel B.  Milan; Henry Lemana II

doi:10.47540/ijqr.v2i3.806

Authors

Judiel B. Milan Sultan Kudarat State University, Philippines
Henry Lemana II ESL/EFL Teacher Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47540/ijqr.v2i3.806

Keywords:

Autism Spectrum Disorder, Challenges and Opportunities, Pandemic, Parents

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted many facets of human existence, including the experiences of the most vulnerable members of society. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during the pandemic through the lens of their parents. It specifically aimed to delve into the challenges and opportunities these children encountered during these trying times. Using a phenomenological inquiry, six purposefully selected parents whose children have ASD were interviewed and observed to generate rich and detailed information about the phenomenon, which was fortified by the participants’ shared photographs by virtue of the photovoice methodology. The analysis brought out five themes from the gathered data; three focused on challenges: (1) putting up with the unavailability of special services, (2) catching up with the demands of modular education, and (3) running into emotional breakdowns. Meanwhile, two themes focused on opportunities: (4) increased time for family bonding and (5) acquisition of new life skills. The study’s findings highlight significant implications to government and educational leaders on the interventions and programs needed by children with ASD as they thrive in the midst of the pandemic.

References

Alam, M.M., Fawzi, A.M., Islam, M.M., & Said, J. Impacts of Covid-19 pandemic on national security issues: Indonesia as a case study. Security Journal, 35(1), 1067–1086.

Amirova, A., Cohen Miller, A., & Sandygulova, A. (2022). The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the well-being of children with autism spectrum disorder: Parents' perspectives. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 913902.

Amorim, R., Catarino, S., Miragaia, P., Ferreras, C., Viana, V., & Guardiano, M. (2020). The impact of Covid-19 on children with autism spectrum disorder. Revue Neurologique, 71 (8), 285-291.

Baweja, R., Brown, S., Edwards, E., & Murray, M. (2021). Covid-19 pandemic and impact on patients with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 52(1), 473-482.

Bellomo, T. R., Prasad, S., Munzer, T., & Laventhal, N. (2020). The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, 13(3), 349-354.

Brignell, A., Chenausky, K. V., Song, H., Zhu, J., Suo, C., & Morgan, A. T. (2018). Communication interventions for autism spectrum disorder in minimally verbal children. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 11(1), 1-59.

Budig, K., Diez, J., Conde, P., Sastre, M., Hernan, M., & Franco, M. (2018). Photovoice and empowerment: Evaluating the transformative potential of a participatory action research project. BMC Public Health, 18(1), 432-441.

Butler, J. L. (2017). A qualitative phenomenological study of first-year college students' perceptions of direct and symbolic inputs influencing sense of identity [PhD Thesis, Liberty University].

Cabrera, N. J., Moon, U., Fagan, J., West, J., & Aldoney, D. (2020). Cognitive stimulation at home and in child care and children’s pre-academic skills in two-parent families. Child Development, 91(1), 1709–1717.

Cerbone, D. R. (2014). Understanding Phenomenology. Routledge.

Denning, C. B., & Moody, A. K. (2013). Supporting students with autism spectrum disorders in inclusive settings: Rethinking instruction and design. Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education, 3(1), 1-21.

Du, Y., Ding, Y., Li, Z., & Cao, G. (2015). The role of hazard vulnerability assessments in disaster preparedness and prevention in China. Military Medical Research, 2(1), 1-7.

Eshraghi, A. A., Li, C., Alessandri, M., Messinger, D. S., Eshraghi, R. S., Mittal, R., & Armstrong, F. D. (2020). Covid-19: Overcoming the challenges faced by individuals with autism and their families. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(5), 481–483.

Evans, S., Mikocka-Walus, A., Klas, A., Olive, L., Sciberras, E., Karantzas, G., & Westrupp, E.M. (2020). From “it has stopped our lives” to “spending more time together has strengthened bonds”: The varied experiences of Australian families during covid-19. Frontiers in Psychology, 11(1), 588667.

Gregus, S. J., Hernandez Rodriguez, J., Faith, M. A., & Failes, E. (2021). Parenting and children’s psychological adjustment during the Covid-19 pandemic. School Psychology Review, 30(1), 1–17.

He, M., Cabrera, N., Renteria, J., Chen, Y., Alonso, A., McDorman, S.A., Kerlow, M.A., & Reich, S.M. (2021). Family functioning in the time of covid-19 among economically vulnerable families: Risks and protective factors. Frontiers in Psychology, 12(1), 730447.

Hill, C., Keville, S., & Ludlow, A.K. (2021). Inclusivity for children with autism spectrum disorders: Parent’s reflections of the school learning environment versus home learning during Covid-19. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 1-9.

Huang, S., Sun, T., Zhu, Y., Song, S., Zhang, J., Huang, L., Chen, Q., Peng, G., Zhao D., Yu, H., Jing, J. (2021). Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children with ASD and their families: An online survey in China. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 14(1), 289-297.

Jeste, D. V., Lee, E. E., & Cacioppo, S. (2020). Battling the modern behavioral epidemic of loneliness: suggestions for research and interventions. JAMA psychiatry, 77(6), 553-554.

Lee, V., Albaum, C., Tablon Modica, P., Ahmad, F., Gorter, J. W., Khanlou, N., & Weiss, J. A. (2021). The impact of Covid‐19 on the mental health and wellbeing of caregivers of autistic children and youth: A scoping review. Autism Research, 14(12), 2477-2494.

Lugo-Marín, J., Gisbert-Gustemps, L., Setien-Ramos, I., Español-Martín, G., Ibañez-Jimenez, P., Forner-Puntonet, M., ... & Ramos-Quiroga, J. A. (2021). COVID-19 pandemic effects in people with autism spectrum disorder and their caregivers: Evaluation of social distancing and lockdown impact on mental health and general status. Research in autism spectrum disorders, 83(1), 101757.

Mishra, N. P., Das, S. S., Yadav, S., Khan, W., Afzal, M., Alarifi, A., Kenawy, E., Ansari, M., Hasnain, M. & Nayak, A. K. (2020). Global impacts of pre-and post-Covid-19 pandemic: Focus on socio-economic consequences. Sensors International, 1, 100042.

Mutluer, T., Doenyas, C., & Aslan Genc, H. (2020). Behavioral implications of the covid-19 process for autism spectrum disorder, and individuals’ comprehension of and reactions to the pandemic conditions. Frontiers in Psychiatry, (11), 561882.

Neubauer, B. E., Witkop, C. T., & Varpio, L. (2019). How phenomenology can help us learn from the experiences of others. Perspectives on medical education, 8, 90-97.

O’Hagan, D. T., van der Most, R., Lodaya, R. N., Coccia, M., & Lofano, G. (2021). “World in motion”–emulsion adjuvants rising to meet the pandemic challenges. NPJ Vaccines, 6(1), 158-173.

Pachner, O., & Aranyi, D. (2021). Challenges for children and adolescents with autism and their families during the Covid-19 pandemic. Journal of Global Awareness, 2(1), 1-21.

Parsons, O.E., Bayliss, A.P., & Remington, A. (2017). A few of my favorite things: circumscribed interests in autism are not accompanied by increased attentional salience on a personalized selective attention task. Molecular Autism, 8(20), 1-12.

Plunkett, R., Leipert, B. D., & Ray, S. L. (2013). Unspoken phenomena: Using the photovoice method to enrich phenomenological inquiry. Nursing Inquiry, 20(2), 156-164.

Roquette Viana, C., Caldeira, S., Lourenço, M., & Simões Figueiredo, A. (2021). Parenting of children with autism spectrum disorder: A grounded theory study. Healthcare, 9(7), 872-887.

Sanon, M. A., Evans‐Agnew, R. A., & Boutain, D. M. (2014). An exploration of social justice intent in photovoice research studies from 2008 to 2013. Nursing Inquiry, 21(3), 212-226.

Smith, D. W. (2013). Phenomenology. Stanford.

Sumalinog, G. (2020). English language teachers in diaspora: A Heideggerian phenomenology. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 19(11), 283-295.

Sutton-Brown, C. A. (2014). Photovoice: A methodological guide. Photography and Culture, 7(2), 169-185.

Van Zandt, S., Peacock, W. G., Henry, D. W., Grover, H., Highfield, W. E., & Brody, S. D. (2012). Mapping social vulnerability to enhance housing and neighborhood resilience. Housing Policy Debate, 22(1), 29-55.