Challenges, practices, and impact of COVID-19 among mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder in cities and remote areas in Saudi Arabia.
Remote Saudi mothers of kids with autism faced steeper COVID-19 challenges—telehealth outreach and local education programs are urgently needed.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Abdullah and colleagues asked Saudi mothers of children with autism about life during COVID-19. They compared answers from city moms with answers from moms in remote areas.
The team used a survey. They wanted to see who faced bigger problems and who found new ways to cope.
What they found
Mothers in remote areas reported more challenges. City mothers said they tried more new practices during the lockdowns.
The gap was clear: distance from services made hard times harder.
How this fits with other research
Alrajhi et al. (2023) mapped everyday service gaps one year earlier. Their pre-COVID picture sets the stage: Saudi moms already felt short-changed. Abdullah’s 2024 data show the pandemic widened the same cracks.
Daulay (2021) in Indonesia and de Korte et al. (2021) in the Netherlands both heard mothers describe heavier caregiving loads once schools closed. The pattern crosses continents: when supports vanish, moms carry the weight.
Garwood et al. (2021) studied Mongolian parents in low-resource settings. Like Saudi remote mothers, they named geography as a wall between them and help. The two papers together argue that distance, not culture, is the shared enemy.
Why it matters
If you serve Saudi families, target remote areas first. Offer telehealth parent training and schedule brief respite blocks. Check in weekly; a five-minute call can cut isolation. City families can pilot new tools, then share videos with rural peers. Use Rehab’s mom-made suggestions to pick priorities, and keep the plan ready for the next crisis.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Phone or text one rural parent today, share a short video model of a teaching technique, and ask what respite would help most this week.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) across Saudi Arabia have experienced tremendous challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the challenges may be different for mothers living in a city compared to those living more remotely. AIMS: We investigated challenges and practices related to COVID-19 and their impact among Saudi mothers of children with ASD in cities and remote areas during the pandemic. METHODS: A sample of 99 mothers (60 in cities and 39 remote) who had a child with ASD was surveyed using an electronic questionnaire. RESULTS: Mothers who lived in remote areas reported more challenges, while mothers in cities reported adopting more new practices with children than remote mothers. Regression analyses revealed that place of residence and age of the child were significant predictors of the challenges experienced by mothers of children with ASD. RECOMMENDATIONS: Intervention services, community-based education programs, and electronic media are recommended for use with mothers in Saudi Arabia to increase awareness of COVID-19, improve practices, and minimize challenges in protecting their children with ASD.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2024 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2024.104718