The effect of COVID-19 on students on the autism spectrum in primary education from the perspective of parents and educators

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to (1) investigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students who have Autism in primary schools and (2) to investigate the role of the educator in supporting students on the Autism Spectrum during the pandemic. Six semi-structured interviews were carried out with two primary class teachers, two learning support educators (LSEs) and two parents of children with Autism. The data collected was analysed thematically. and produced two superordinate themes: (1) ‘The Impact of COVID-19’ and (2) ‘Dealing with the effects of COVID-19’. From the first superordinate theme emerged the categories; ‘Positive Effects,’ ‘Negative Effects’ and ‘Neutral Effects’ while from the second superordinate theme emerged the subthemes; ‘Educational Strategies’ and ‘Mental Health Wellbeing.’ The findings indicated that not all students on the Autism Spectrum were impacted equally by the pandemic, although the majority of the participants interviewed mentioned negative and positive effects, there was still mention of neutral effects. The main positive effects included being able to relate more to the Autism condition, an opportunity for students to create relationships with their own social bubble and an opportunity for holistic improvement. The main negative effects included a communication barrier due to the COVID-19 restrictions, inability to adjust to the changes imposed by pandemic and thus adapt to the new normal and lastly the need for one-to-one support during remote learning. The main neutral effect due to the pandemic was the ability to adapt to the changes brought on by the pandemic. The subthemes Educational Strategies and Mental Health Wellbeing shed light on possible working strategies for students on the Autism Spectrum and key stakeholders can implement in order to deal with the impact of COVID-19.