Investigating experiences of parents of autistic children during COVID-19 online schooling

The current prevalence rate of autistic children is 1 in 31 in the USA. Autistic students make up 12% of the total special education population in the USA. During the COVID-19 pandemic and move to the online school environment, autistic students and their families faced increased challenges associated with instructions and interventions delivered virtually including changes in the routines and lack of social interactions. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the challenges and benefits experienced by parents of school-aged autistic children during COVID-19 online schooling. A total of 50 parents of autistic school-age children participated in an online survey. Both quantitative (descriptive statistics and correlation analysis) and qualitative (content analysis) approaches were used to analyze data. The data analysis revealed that over half of the participating parents (60%) were not satisfied with the quality of online schooling; 69 % of participants said that the Individualized Education Program did not meet their child’s educational needs during online education. Parents provided information about the challenges and benefits they experienced in the online educational setting and offered suggestions for future practices. Recommendations for planning and implementing online learning for students with autism are discussed.