Analyzing Implications of Pandemics Like Covid-19 On ASD Children & Dealing Strategies: A Case Study

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurological disorder marked by difficulties with social interaction, repetitive behavioral patterns, and constrained hobbies and interests. This lifelong disorder begins in early childhood and eventually causes problems throughout a person’s life span. The severity of the symptoms may vary from individual to individual. Some children show symptoms of ASD within the first year of life. Others might not experience symptoms until 24 months of age or later. Although the exact cause of ASD is unknown, research has identified several contributing reasons, including genetics and certain environmental factors. There is no known cure for the disease, but intensive and early treatment can significantly improve the lives of individuals diagnosed with ASD. Further, epidemiological studies have shown a rapid increase in the prevalence of ASD in recent years, with a prevalence of four to five times more in boys than girls. Even though there are no reliable statistics on autism in Pakistan, according to the Pakistan Autism Society, it is estimated that approximately 400,000 children in Pakistan are assumed to have ASD. Thissuggests a significant portion of the population suffers fromthe disease. Moreover, when COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, WHO suggested that governments worldwide should implement necessary protective measures to control the spread of virus and safeguard their populations. Pakistan was no exception to this approach. The potential restrictions not only reduced the virus's transmission but also caused significant disruptions in people's daily lives. These disruptions created new challenges and led to heightened psychological distress, especially for families of individuals with pre-existing mental health disorders, particularly Autism Spectrum Disorder. Therefore, this study aims to analyze and compare the unfavorable impact of Covid-19 pandemic on mental wellbeing of ASD and TD (typically developing) participants in Pakistan, potential factors predicting heightened parental distress, and to narratively characterize their needs. Additionally, it seeks to compare ASD children's behavior problems before and during global COVID-19 pandemic. For this purpose, a total of 66 primary data samples from participants of ASD and TD groups were collected from Rawalpindi and Islamabad with the help of a comprehensively designed survey. The survey questionnaire included 6 sections related to participants and children demographic characteristics, parental exposure to COVID-19, impact of COVID-19 lockdown, behavioral problems and ASD support during lockdown, parental distress via DASS21 and 2 open response questions. 12 | P a g e Analysis of the data begin with preprocessing, after preprocessing final dataset consisted of 51 samples (ASD= 21, TD=30). The survey’s reliability analysis was also performed using Cronbach’s alpha. Descriptive and comparative analysis were performed on various items of questionnaire. The results of this study reveals that demographic variables shows no significant difference between the two groups except for Child’s gender. Even though the COVID-19 lockdown resulted in a challenging period for majority of families, ASD families reported increased difficulties and requiring more commitment than before in nearly all aspects of life as compared to the TD group. It was also found that ASD children showed more behavioral problems in terms of aggression (42.9%), repetitive (23.8%) and transition activities (42.9%) during lockdown than before it. Moreover, compared to parents of TD children (7.84%), parents of ASD children exhibits higher level of distress (17.56%). The comparison of tested machine learning models ranked the severity of ASD symptoms, certain type of therapy the child receiving, group (ASD vs. TD), parental exposure to Covid-19, and difficulties in managing the child's daily routine and physiological distress as the most significant predictors of parental distress during Covid-19 pandemic. Lastly, majority of participants reported the need for financial support (17.6%), increased awareness (35.3%), and proper planning (37.3%) from the government during such crisis. Therefore, the findings of this study provide evidence which highlights the necessity for interventions aimed at assisting parents in reducing distress and developing effective coping strategies, especially for families with ASD. These interventions should be a collaborative effort of both healthcare professionals and government authorities.