Thirteen children with mild or moderate intellectual disabilities described lockdown as a time of anxiety, lost routines, and fear of the virus. They found comfort in sensory activities, special interests, and family time. Their unease continued after restrictions ended, especially around returning to school.
The children described lockdown as a period of frustration, sadness, and anxiety. They felt 'stuck inside,' missed face-to-face contact with friends and family, and saw online meetings as not an adequate replacement for in-person time.
To manage the stress of new rules and uncertainty, children sought a sense of control through sensory activities (peeling glue off their hands, fidget toys, hand sanitizer), special interests (jigsaws, video games, Harry Potter Lego), and maintaining familiar routines such as a nightly 'goodnight milk.'
Children longed to return to in-person school and friends but found the transition difficult. One child described the first day back as 'a bit…tricky… I wasn't used to it,' and several noted that online learning had been harder and more boring than face-to-face lessons.
Single-blind randomized controlled trial. Sixty-four participants were randomized across two intervention arms and assessed at twelve weeks for the primary outcome…
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