Adaptive response of Italian young adults with autism to the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study.
M Valenti, M C Pino, I Le Donne and 4 others
PMID 36162352WHAT IT FOUND
One year after the Italian lockdown, young adults with autism showed significant declines in daily living and socialisation skills.
Personal care, domestic tasks, and interpersonal relationships worsened over time, suggesting that disruption of routine rehabilitation and increased family dependence may have hindered adaptive functioning.
Key findings
01Interpersonal relationship scores dropped significantly from baseline to one year post-lockdown.
02Domestic living skills scores were significantly lower at one year compared to baseline and six months.
03Personal care scores decreased significantly at both six months and one year compared to baseline.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Small sample size (n=44). Reliance on parental report for adaptive behaviour, which may be biased by caregiver stress or increased observation time during lockdown. The study did not assess the impact on caregivers or interventionists directly. Confounding factors such as changes in family dynamics and economic stress were not controlled for.
Declared interests
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these declines were caused solely by the lockdown itself. The authors note that the interruption of rehabilitation services and increased caregiver stress may have contributed, and the study does not separate the effects of the pandemic from the effects of service withdrawal.