Psychological effects of the 2017 California wildfires on children and youth with disabilities.
After wildfires, kids with disabilities stay upset for at least a year when their services vanish—so lock continuity of care into every disaster plan.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Ducy et al. (2021) talked to parents one year after the 2017 California wildfires. They asked how the fires affected kids with disabilities.
The team used open-ended questions. Parents shared stories about stress, grief, and behavior changes.
What they found
Parents said their children still showed worry, sadness, and problem behaviors twelve months later. Needed therapy, equipment, and school supports were still missing.
The fires did not just hurt houses. They broke the circle of daily disability services.
How this fits with other research
Iosa et al. (2012) saw a similar drop after an Italian earthquake. Kids with autism lost adaptive skills fast, but strong therapy helped some bounce back within a year. The wildfire study adds that without quick service repair, distress lingers longer.
Marcone et al. (2023) and Alhuzimi (2021) moved the same idea to COVID-19 lockdowns in Italy and Saudi Arabia. In both places, lost therapy hours pushed parent stress up. Together the papers show: when disaster strikes, any pause in disability care widens the trauma.
Gur et al. (2023) looked at Israeli adults with IDD during COVID-19. Most life-satisfaction scores fell, yet closeness to staff rose. This mixed picture hints that keeping even one support thread can soften the blow for any age group.
Why it matters
Wildfires, quakes, or pandemics will hit again. Build emergency plans that list each child's must-have supports: communication device, mobility aid, calming routine, therapist contact. Drill the plan with families before the next alarm rings.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Add a one-page 'disaster go sheet' to each child's binder: therapist phone, device charger, top three calming strategies.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
The psychological effects of disasters on children with disabilities are understudied, despite evidence towards increased risk for complications after other types of trauma exposure. This study investigated the experience of children and youth with disabilities exposed to the 2017 Northern California wildfires, with a particular focus on psychological reactions. In-depth interviews were conducted with parents of 14 children and youth with disabilities one year post-disaster. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the interviews. Parents described the wildfires as traumatic events for both themselves and their children. Children and youth exhibited stress, grief, and other emotional and behavioral reactions during evacuation, in the immediate aftermath, and one year post-disaster. Navigating disability-related needs, such as accessible housing, contributed to parent stress post-disaster. School and community-based mental health efforts are described, along with a call for increased attention to disaster-related reactions in children with developmental disabilities. Suggestions for improving preparedness and response efforts that better support children with disabilities and their families post-disaster are given.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2021 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2021.103981