Perceptions of Families of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder during the COVID-19 Crisis.
Janessa Manning, Joseph Billian, Jill Matson and 2 others
PMID 33090358WHAT IT FOUND
Families of people with autism reported high stress and disruption during early Michigan shutdowns.
Higher caregiver-rated symptom severity was associated with more stress and disruption for caregivers and individuals.
Key findings
01Respondents reported high disruption and stress: mean disruption 6.9 and stress 6.6, with 66.4% and 62.1% selecting 7 or higher.
02Higher caregiver-rated autism symptom severity was associated with higher disruption and stress for both respondents and individuals with autism.
03Among caregiver-reporters, 27.1% said they would accept in-home respite; fear of bringing illness into the home was the most common free-text concern about respite.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Only Michigan families were surveyed, so it may not apply to other states or regions. Respondents chose to answer an online survey distributed through a nonprofit database, newsletter, and Facebook, so people with strong views may have been over-represented; a response rate could not be calculated for some channels. The survey was done in early pandemic, so concerns may have changed later. Autism diagnoses and severity were reported by families and not confirmed with standardized measures. The study measured perceptions at one time, so it cannot show that any service caused or reduced stress or disruption. The 80-point severity score was created from caregiver ratings of eight domains, not a standardized severity tool.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these associations as evidence that in-home respite, tele-therapy, or school services caused or reduced stress. This was a one-time, self-selected survey of Michigan families, so it cannot show what any service did to outcomes.