Internationale Zeitschrift für psychische Notfallgesundheit und menschliche Resilienz

Abstrakt

Immigrant family perceptions of virtual therapy for young children on the autism spectrum during the pandemic

Hoda Hashemi, Matthew Brock

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions in services for young children on the autism spectrum and their families. These impacts may be particularly pronounced for immigrant families who face unique challenges. In this qualitative study, we conducted one-to-one virtual interviews with eight Persian-speaking immigrant parents of young children on the autism spectrum who were receiving in-person behavioral therapy before the pandemic but who transitioned to virtual therapy during the pandemic. Families reported that challenging behavior was more frequent with longer duration after the transition to online instruction, they were less satisfied with services, and their children may have regressed on progress made before the pandemic. Meditation, counseling, and yoga were among the coping mechanisms reported for dealing with stress. We offer recommendations for how practitioners can be responsive to family perspectives, as well as how researchers can further investigate the impacts of the pandemic that are not yet fully understood