Experiences of caregivers of children with autism during the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review.
Jade Berson, Skye N Adams
PMID 39099285WHAT IT FOUND
Caregivers of children with autism faced intensified stress, isolation and disrupted routines during the pandemic.
Teletherapy was often unhelpful due to access barriers and engagement difficulties. Structured home routines and positive outlooks emerged as key coping strategies.
Key findings
01Mental health challenges were the most prominent theme, reported in 64% of the included studies.
02Teletherapy access was hindered by cost and internet issues, and caregivers found it less engaging, though some valued service continuity.
03Structured routines were identified as a valuable mechanism for managing home time and mitigating caregiver burnout.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The review predominantly included research from the initial wave of the pandemic, restricting the breadth of analysis to that specific period. Most studies were conducted in high-income settings, particularly the United States and Italy, with limited representation from Africa and low- and middle-income countries. The search relied heavily on online surveys, which may have excluded caregivers without internet access or digital literacy. The majority of respondents were mothers, limiting understanding of fathers and other caregiver roles. Only two reviewers conducted the screening and extraction, which may have affected triangulation compared to a larger team.
Declared interests
The research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the resilience theme as evidence that these coping strategies were universally successful or that teletherapy was effective. The review reports that teletherapy implementation predominantly resulted in negative experiences across studies, and the resilience findings are based on themes from a subset of studies, not a tested intervention.