Parents' perceptions of the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on the eating behaviors and routines of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
COVID-19 lockdowns wrecked eating habits and daily routines of Saudi children with autism—prepare a written crisis plan now.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Alharbi (2024) asked Saudi parents how COVID-19 changed their kids’ eating and daily routines. The team used an online survey. All families had a child with autism.
Parents rated whether meals, sleep, play, and therapy times got worse, stayed the same, or improved during lockdown.
What they found
Most parents said eating habits and daily routines got markedly worse. The problems were bigger for older kids, boys, and children with more severe autism.
Families lost therapy slots and familiar mealtime cues. Snack requests, food refusals, and tantrums at the table all rose.
How this fits with other research
Alhuzimi (2021) ran a near-identical Saudi survey and also saw higher parent stress when routines broke. The match shows the result is not a one-off.
Isensee et al. (2022) asked German and Austrian families the same question. Half reported doubled autism symptoms and lost therapy hours, backing the Saudi picture.
Patton et al. (2020) had already shown that kids with severe autism eat fewer new foods at home. Alharbi’s finding that severe autism predicted bigger lockdown eating shifts simply extends that link into crisis times.
Why it matters
You can’t stop future lockdowns, but you can build a buffer now. Write a one-page crisis meal plan with parents: preferred foods, backup brands, visual schedule, and two calm-down activities. Review it at every six-month re-auth so it’s ready when the next crisis hits.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Restricted interests and repetitive behavior are characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The likelihood that persons with ASD will respond adversely to unfamiliar situations is great. The novel coronavirus outbreak has resulted in disruptions to all aspects of routine and behavior. Hence, this study proposed to investigate the impact of the outbreak on the eating behavior and routines of children with ASD in Saudi Arabia through the perceptions of their parents. A cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach was utilized to obtain data from 150 parents of children with ASD aged ≤18 years in Saudi Arabia. The data collected included demographic data of the parents, the ASD status of the family, impact of COVID-19 to the family, eating behavior of the children with ASD, and daily routines of the children with ASD. Moreover, parents were able to provide comments regarding their children’s eating behavior or daily routines. The study found that changes in the eating behavior of children with ASD were found to differ significantly (p<0.05) based on the number of children with ASD, the age of the children with ASD, the gender of the children with ASD, and the severity of their ASD symptoms. Moreover, changes to dinner-time routines were found to differ significantly (p<0.05) based on the age of the children with ASD. Also, changes to morning routines were found to differ significantly (p<0.05) based on the age of the children with ASD, their gender, and the severity of their ASD symptoms. Additionally, impact of COVID-19 to the family had a significant impact to eating behavior and daily routines of the children with ASD. This study found that the eating behavior and daily routines of children with ASD in Saudi Arabia have been considerably worsened and changed. The study recommends the collaboration of multidisciplinary teams and parents to modify or design interventions that help to change their eating behavior and routine can be implemented in the home. It also recommends the provision of virtual helplines to aid parents of children with ASD in such cases.
Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2024 · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1296643