Brief Report: Impact of COVID-19 on Individuals with ASD and Their Caregivers: A Perspective from the SPARK Cohort.
L Casey White, J Kiely Law, Amy M Daniels and 5 others
PMID 33387233WHAT IT FOUND
Caregivers reported severe disruptions to speech, OT, and ABA therapy, with 64% saying their child's symptoms worsened.
Remote services were rarely used and perceived as beneficial by fewer than half, except for mental health care. Parents of preschoolers reported the highest stress levels.
Key findings
01The majority of caregivers reported disruptions to speech and language therapy (88%), physical and occupational therapies (84%), and applied behavior analysis (77%).
02Fewer than half of respondents reported significant or moderate benefit from remote physical/occupational therapy (36%) and ABA (44%), whereas mental health services were viewed as beneficial by a majority (55%).
03Just under two-thirds (64%) of parents reported that service disruptions severely or moderately impacted their child's ASD symptoms, behaviors, or challenges.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
All data were parent-reported, with no direct clinical assessment of the child's status or the quality of services received. The survey instruments were not validated measures, and the study lacked a true pre-COVID baseline comparison group. The sample was skewed towards higher-income, White, and metropolitan families, potentially underrepresenting rural, minority, and lower-income populations. Attrition bias exists, as those who completed both surveys differed slightly from those who did not (e.g., more likely to have less verbal children).
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the low benefit ratings for remote therapy as evidence that telehealth is ineffective for all patients or ages. The study showed that school-age children benefited more from remote special education and SLT than preschoolers, and mental health services were rated highly by a majority. The findings reflect a specific early-pandemic context with rapid, often improvised transitions to remote care, not necessarily optimized long-term telehealth practices.