Impact of Belgian COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on autistic individuals' socio-communicative behaviors and their parents' quality of life.
<h4>Background</h4>In the spring of 2020, Belgian authorities enforced a full lockdown period to contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This lockdown drastically disrupted the daily life of autistic individuals' and that of their families. In the midst of these extraordinary ci...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2022-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0273932 |
| _version_ | 1798033066356113408 |
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| author | Marielle Weyland Pauline Maes Mikhail Kissine Pierre Defresne |
| author_facet | Marielle Weyland Pauline Maes Mikhail Kissine Pierre Defresne |
| author_sort | Marielle Weyland |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <h4>Background</h4>In the spring of 2020, Belgian authorities enforced a full lockdown period to contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This lockdown drastically disrupted the daily life of autistic individuals' and that of their families. In the midst of these extraordinary circumstances, we assessed the impact of social restrictions on autistic individuals' behavior and their parents' or caregivers' quality of life; we also sought to identify individual characteristics that may influence such changes.<h4>Methods</h4>We designed an online survey targeting caregivers living with an autistic child or adult. The questionnaire included 125 five-point Likert questions which targeted changes in families' quality of life and in autistic individuals' behavior, as well as factors likely to influence the extent and direction of these changes.<h4>Results</h4>We collected data from 209 French-speaking Belgian respondents. Respondents reported that the lockdown brought about a higher frequency of nonfunctional socio-communicative behaviors, as well as a decrease in families' quality of life. Parents who had less access to respite care experienced a steeper decrease in their quality of life. Autistic individuals with comorbidities, and whose parents had less access to respite care and implemented fewer rules at home during lockdown were more likely to display nonfunctional socio-communicative behaviors.<h4>Conclusion</h4>COVID-19 lockdown restrictions had a negative impact on both autistic individuals and their parents. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:24:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e9e62d803caa426698b1f5a2174ee5dd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:24:17Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-e9e62d803caa426698b1f5a2174ee5dd2022-12-22T04:04:43ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032022-01-01178e027393210.1371/journal.pone.0273932Impact of Belgian COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on autistic individuals' socio-communicative behaviors and their parents' quality of life.Marielle WeylandPauline MaesMikhail KissinePierre Defresne<h4>Background</h4>In the spring of 2020, Belgian authorities enforced a full lockdown period to contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This lockdown drastically disrupted the daily life of autistic individuals' and that of their families. In the midst of these extraordinary circumstances, we assessed the impact of social restrictions on autistic individuals' behavior and their parents' or caregivers' quality of life; we also sought to identify individual characteristics that may influence such changes.<h4>Methods</h4>We designed an online survey targeting caregivers living with an autistic child or adult. The questionnaire included 125 five-point Likert questions which targeted changes in families' quality of life and in autistic individuals' behavior, as well as factors likely to influence the extent and direction of these changes.<h4>Results</h4>We collected data from 209 French-speaking Belgian respondents. Respondents reported that the lockdown brought about a higher frequency of nonfunctional socio-communicative behaviors, as well as a decrease in families' quality of life. Parents who had less access to respite care experienced a steeper decrease in their quality of life. Autistic individuals with comorbidities, and whose parents had less access to respite care and implemented fewer rules at home during lockdown were more likely to display nonfunctional socio-communicative behaviors.<h4>Conclusion</h4>COVID-19 lockdown restrictions had a negative impact on both autistic individuals and their parents.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0273932 |
| spellingShingle | Marielle Weyland Pauline Maes Mikhail Kissine Pierre Defresne Impact of Belgian COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on autistic individuals' socio-communicative behaviors and their parents' quality of life. PLoS ONE |
| title | Impact of Belgian COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on autistic individuals' socio-communicative behaviors and their parents' quality of life. |
| title_full | Impact of Belgian COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on autistic individuals' socio-communicative behaviors and their parents' quality of life. |
| title_fullStr | Impact of Belgian COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on autistic individuals' socio-communicative behaviors and their parents' quality of life. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of Belgian COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on autistic individuals' socio-communicative behaviors and their parents' quality of life. |
| title_short | Impact of Belgian COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on autistic individuals' socio-communicative behaviors and their parents' quality of life. |
| title_sort | impact of belgian covid 19 lockdown restrictions on autistic individuals socio communicative behaviors and their parents quality of life |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0273932 |
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