Online ISSN: 2325-7466
2006
Triannual
National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET)
United States

Articles

When Parents of Children with Severe Autism Become Their Teachers: Unique Cases from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sydney Bueno, Ph.D., Uzeyir Ogurlu, Ph.D., Lisa Bardon, Ph.D., Nikki Logan, Ph.D.
  • Sydney Bueno, Ph.D. (Author) University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point image/svg+xml
    Sydney Bueno, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and the director of the masters program in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. Her main research interests include special education teacher preparation, graduate program improvement, and first-generation students with disabilities attending a four-year university.
  • Uzeyir Ogurlu, Ph.D. (Author) University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point
    Uzeyir Ogurlu holds a Ph.D. in Gifted Education. He currently teaches at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He has written various articles and chapters on gifted education and creativity. His research interests are talent development, creativity, the social and emotional life of gifted students, and diversity in education.
  • Lisa Bardon, Ph.D. (Author) University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point
    Lisa Bardon, Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus of special education at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point and has 40 years of experience in the field of special education. Her professional activities focus on students with autism, students with emotional behavioral disorders and teacher preparation.
  • Nikki Logan, Ph.D. (Author) University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point
    Nikki Logan, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and the coordinator of the special education program in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. Her main research interests include University-School Clinical Experience Partnerships, Graduate and Undergraduate Perceptions in College Courses, and Current Events such as Teacher and Parent Experiences during Remote Learning due to COVID-19.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.542
Abstract
Parents of school-aged children experienced an increased responsibility in their child’s education when the COVID-19 pandemic shut schools in March 2020. The sudden school closure was very difficult for students with autism, who need predictability and routine in their daily life. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of parents of children with severe autism during the school closure and uncover recommendations to improve distance education for students with autism. The participating parents in this study reported difficulty in adjusting to the abrupt disruption in routine during the COVID-19 pandemic. All parents reported trying a variety of strategies to support their student’s learning during distance education. They all expressed feelings of stress during distance learning and conveyed appreciation for their child’s teacher.
Keywords
Adjustment (to Environment), Adolescents, Anxiety, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Children, COVID-19
References

Addison, J. T. (1992). Urie Bronfenbrenner. Human Ecology, 20(2), 16-20

Alhuzimi, T. (2021). Stress and emotional wellbeing of parents due to change in routine for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at home during COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 108, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103822 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103822

Asbury, K., Fox, L., Deniz, E., Code, A., & Toseeb, U. (2021). How is COVID-19 affecting the mental health of children with special educational needs and disabilities and their families? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51(5), 1772-1780. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04577-2

Azoulay, U. (2020, November 11). Global Education Coalition. UNESCO. https://en.unesco.org/covid19/educationresponse/globalcoalition

Baxter, P., & Jack, S. (2008). Qualitative case study methodology: Study design and implementation for novice researchers. The Qualitative Report, 13(4), 544-559. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2008.1573 DOI: https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2008.1573

Boyd, B. A. (2002). Examining the relationship between stress and lack of social support in mothers of children with autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 17(4), 208-215.https://doi.org/abs/10.1177/10883576020170040301 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/10883576020170040301

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2012). Thematic Analysis. In H. Cooper, P. M. Camic, D. L. Long, A. T. Panter, D. Rindskopf, & K. J. Sher (Eds.), APA handbook of research methods in psychology, Vol. 2. Research designs: Quantitative, qualitative, neuropsychological, and biological (pp. 57–71). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/13620-009 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/13620-009

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1986). Ecology of the family as a context for human development: Research perspectives. Developmental Psychology, 22(6): 723–742. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037//0012-1649.22.6.723

Cahapay, M. B. (2020). How Filipino parents home educate their children with autism during COVID-19 period. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 1-4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/20473869.2020.1780554

Coyne, L. W., Gould, E. R., Grimaldi, M., Wilson, K. G., Baffuto, G., & Biglan, A. (2020). First things first: Parent psychological flexibility and self-compassion during COVID-19. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 14(4), 1092-1098 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-020-00435-w

Demeulenaere, P. (2012). Theoretical propositions and the interpretation of field research. L’Année sociologique, 62, 67-91. https://doi.org/10.3917/anso.121.0067 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3917/anso.121.0067

Eshraghi, A. A., Li, C., Alessandri, M., Messinger, D. S., Eshraghi, R. S., Mittal, R., & Armstrong, F. D. (2020). COVID-19: Overcoming the challenges faced by individuals with autism and their families. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(6), 481–483. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30197-8

Ersoy, K., Altin, B., Sarikaya, B., & Ozkardas, O. (2020). The comparison of impact of health anxiety on dispositional hope and psychological well-being of mothers who have children diagnosed with autism and mothers who have normal children, in COVID-19 pandemic. Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(2), 117-126.

Fontanesi, L., Marchetti, D., Mazza, C., Di Giandomenico, S., Roma, P., & Verrocchio, M. C. (2020). The effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on parents: A call to adopt urgent measures. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 12(S1), S79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000672

Garbe, A., Ogurlu, U., Logan, N., & Cook, P. (2020). Parents’ experiences with remote education during COVID-19 school closures. American Journal of Qualitative Research, 4(3), 45-65. https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/8471 DOI: https://doi.org/10.29333/ajqr/8469

Garbarino, J. (1977). The human ecology of child maltreatment: A conceptual model for research Journal of Marriage and the Family, 39, 721-727 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/350477

Hurwitz, S., Garman-McClaine, B., & Carlock, K. (2021). Special education for students with autism during the COVID-19 pandemic:“Each day brings new challenges”. Autism, https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613211035935 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613211035935

Llewellyn, A. & Hogan, K. (2000). The use and abuse of models of disability. Disability and Society, 15(1), 157 – 165. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09687590025829

McConnell, D., & Savage, A. (2015). Stress and resilience among families caring for children with intellectual disability: Expanding the research agenda. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 2(2), 100–109. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40474-015-0040-z. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40474-015-0040-z

McStay, R. L., Trembath, D., & Dissanayake, C. (2014). Stress and family quality of life in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder: parent gender and the double ABCX model. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44(12), 3101–3118. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2178-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2178-7

Manning, J., Billian, J., Matson, J., Allen, C., & Soares, N. (2021). Perceptions of families of individuals with autism spectrum disorder during the COVID-19 crisis. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51(8), 2920-2928. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04760-5

Kong, M. (2021) What COVID-19 means for non-neurotypical children and their families. Pediatric Research, 89, 396–397. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-020-0913-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-020-0913-7

Saliverou, M., Georgiadi, M., Tomprou, D.M., Loizidou-Ieridou, N., & Plexousakis, S. (2021). The impact of COVID-19 pandemic containment measures on families and children with moderate and high functioning ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). Education Sciences, 11(12), 783. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11120783 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11120783

Smile, S. C. (2020). Supporting children with autism spectrum disorder in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. CMAJ, 192(21), E587-E587. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.75399

Toseeb, U., Asbury, K., Code, A., Fox, L., & Deniz, E. (2020). Supporting families with children with special educational needs and disabilities during COVID-19. PsyArXiv Preprints. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/tm69k DOI: https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/tm69k

Wheatley, A. (2021) Perceptions of special education services delivered through online learning environments during COVID-19 [Unpublished master thesis]. Brigham Young University Yin, R. K. (2013). Case study research: Design and methods. Sage Publication.

Zviedrite, N., Hodis, J.D., Jahan, F., Gao, H., & Uzicanin, A. (2021). COVID-19-associated school closures and related efforts to sustain education and subsidized meal programs, United States, February 18–June 30, 2020. PLoS ONE 16(9). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248925 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248925

There are 28 references in total.
How to Cite
Bueno, S., Ogurlu, U., Bardon, L., & Logan, N. (2024). When Parents of Children with Severe Autism Become Their Teachers: Unique Cases from the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 19(1), 103-116. https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.542

Winter 2024

Article Information

  • Article Type Articles
  • Submitted December 31, 2023
  • Published February 15, 2024
  • Issue Winter 2024
  • Section Articles
  • File Downloads 0
  • Abstract Views 0
  • Altmetrics
  • Share
Download data is not yet available.