COVID-19 and lockdown?s psychological impact on children with neurodevelopmental disorders

ABSTRACT

The research aimed to investigate the first nationwide lockdown's psychological impact (March-May 2020) on children with neurodevelopmental disorders, as well as the onset of symptomatology stress-related according to the parents.Method: An online survey has been spread on social networks for one month (July 2020) ad-dressed to parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. The study included 443 Italian parents, especially from Lombardy, Tuscany, Lazio and Piedmont.Results: Parents reported children's difficulties in distance learning (61,2%). Children suspended specialized interventions (62,5%). A great number of parents reported the onset of symptoms in their children attention problems, concentration difficulties, irritability, sleep disorders and anxiety. Specifically, half of the parents revealed symptoms' worsening of children's disorder (54,4%).Conclusions: The lockdown period have had a great psychological impact on children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders and a worsening of their clinical status.