The Autism Center of Excellence participated in the research study: Anxiety and Fears During the COVID-19 Pandemic … Perspectives of Individuals with Disabilities and Their Families Worldwide. This international research study aimed to learn about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and all its repercussions for individuals with disabilities and their families and to learn what distinguishes their experiences and those of their parents during the pandemic in terms of health problems, dealing with anxiety, social distancing and precautionary measures.
The centre contributed to translating the questionnaire into Arabic and its publication through the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development and the Authority for the Care of People with Disabilities databases. The centre played a major role in urging parents to participate in the questionnaire, where the study, which was conducted between May and July 2020, saw the participation of 5,500 families of people with disabilities in Saudi Arabia.
The study showed that the best explanation for parents’ anxiety was the fear of contracting the COVID-19 virus, while the children’s anxiety was related to the child themselves, such as their fear of losing their routine lifestyle, family problems, lack of overall safety and concerns about COVID-19 infections. Also, the level of anxiety among children with disabilities and their families was linked to having previous cases of anxiety.
Source: Saudi Press Agency
