The stress of school
The stress of school closures also led to an increase in certain behaviors among children with autism, including: Stimming (66%) “Meltdowns” (62%) Aggression (46%) Toileting issues (26%) In fact, more than three-quarters of parents of autistic children (79%) said that their child’s therapies had been disrupted during the pandemic, and more than half (63%) said their child was regressing behaviorally. Parents were also concerned that their child was less prepared to return to school, falling behind in school and being left out of virtual social situations. However, while there were negative changes in behavior, parents of children with autism reported that their children have been happier during the pandemic than parents of non-autistic children. The decrease in social demands and opportunity to stay home with loved ones could be contributing to this difference. In total, these findings suggest that virtual school and therapy services may not be appropriate for children with autis...