Detailed Record
Remote Delivery of Allied and Behavioral Healthcare During COVID-19 for Children With Developmental Disabilities
Abstract | Objective: Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities (DD) transitioned to telehealth services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our objectives were to describe reductions in allied and behavioral healthcare services and receipt of caregiver training to deliver services at home because of COVID-19 for children with ASD and other DD, and factors associated with worse response to remote delivery of services for children with ASD. Method: Prior to the pandemic, children 2 to 5 years of age were enrolled in a multi-site case-control study and completed a developmental assessment. Caregivers completed questionnaires on child behavior problems and ASD symptoms. Children were classified as having ASD vs another DD based on standardized diagnostic measures. Subsequently, caregivers completed a survey during January to June 2021 to assess how COVID-19 affected children and families. Results: Caregivers reported that most children with ASD and other DD had a decrease in service hours (50.0%-76.9% by service type) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Children with ASD were significantly more likely to experience reduced speech/language therapy than children with other DD. Receipt of caregiver training to deliver services at home ranged from 38.1% to 57.4% by service type. Among children with ASD, pre-pandemic problems with internalizing behaviors and social communication/interaction were associated with worse response to behavioral telehealth but no other common therapies. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates the caregiver-reported impacts of COVID-19 on remote delivery of allied and behavioral healthcare services for children with ASD and other DD. Considerations for caregiver support and remote delivery of services are provided. |
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Authors |
Lisa D. Wiggins ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Journal Info | Elsevier BV | JAACAP Open |
Publication Date | 10/4/2023 |
ISSN | 2949-7329 |
Type![]() |
article |
Open Access |
hybrid
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DOI | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaacop.2023.08.007 |
Keywords![]() |
Child Development (Score: 0.528715) |