Emerging health challenges for children with physical disabilities and their parents during the COVID-19 pandemic: The ECHO French survey.
Marine Cacioppo, Sandra Bouvier, Rodolphe Bailly and 13 others
PMID 32818674WHAT IT FOUND
During lockdown, rehabilitation services were massively interrupted, leaving parents to deliver therapy at home.
This caused a heavy mental load for families and led to negative effects on children's morale, behavior, and physical activity levels.
Key findings
01Rehabilitation services were largely interrupted, with most parents taking over the delivery of therapy at home.
02The lockdown had negative effects on children's wellbeing, with many experiencing behavioral changes and reduced physical activity.
03Parents reported a high mental load, with rehabilitation being their primary concern.
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
The survey was only available online, so families without internet access were excluded. Responses were provided by parents, not children, which may introduce bias. The sample was not representative of all children with physical disabilities in France. The study is descriptive and cannot prove that the lockdown caused the reported issues.
Declared interests
The authors declare no competing interests. The research did not receive specific funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that the lack of therapy directly caused the children's regression. The study is descriptive and cannot prove causation. It also cannot tell you how much of the negative impact was due to the lockdown itself versus the lack of treatment.