THE CHALLENGES OF CAREGIVERS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS COMORBIDITY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN SERBIA

Abstract

Background: Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) experience significantly higher prevalence of other mental disorders which amplifies their need for overall support The outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) resulted in restrictions and limited access to different services with great challenge for families and children with ASD Subjects and methods: We used an electronic SurveyMonkey questionnaire to examine the experiences of 114 caregivers of children with ASD We compared a level of support by the child¶s school changes in child behavior and priority needs for families of ASD and ASD with comorbidities (ASD+) children during pandemic and (b) developmental history and diagnosis for ASD and ASD+ children before the pandemic Results: Our research shows significant behavioral difficulties in the population with ASD and ASD+ that arose in the field of altered living conditions and overall functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic Statistically significant results comparing ASD to ASD+ children we found in area of getting additional help and support before the outbreak of the pandemic (471% vs 160% p=0002) as well as in worsening of sleep problems statistically significant more common in children with ASD+ (ASD+ 477% vs ASD 257% p=0046) Conclusions: Our findings can contribute to the faster development and implementation of protocols for dealing with situations such as pandemics related to the vulnerable population of children with ASD and their caregivers