Challenges of Alternative Teaching-Learning Faced by Indian Parents of People with Autism Spectrum Disorder During Pandemic Emergency.

This study looked at how Indian parents of autistic children coped when schools moved online during COVID-19. Parents faced many challenges including juggling work while helping their children in online classes, dealing with behavioral issues, learning new technology, extra costs, and stress. Despite these difficulties, parents' hard work helped their children learn successfully. The researchers suggest parent training workshops and better technology support could help families in future similar situations.

This mixed-methods study examined challenges faced by Indian parents of autistic children during COVID-19 pandemic online learning. Using sequential explanatory design with 100 parents in quantitative phase and 15 in qualitative phase, researchers explored parental experiences supporting online special education. Key challenges included managing work-life balance while assisting online classes, handling children's behavioral issues, learning new technology, increased expenses, and personal stress. Despite difficulties, parental efforts led to positive learning outcomes.

The study recommends parental workshops, enhanced technology education, and hybrid learning models to support families during educational transitions.

Results highlight need for comprehensive family support during educational transitions. Recommendations for parental workshops, technology training, and hybrid learning models could inform policy and practice. Findings emphasize importance of considering family capacity and stress when implementing alternative education delivery methods for autistic children.

Single-country study limiting generalizability. Mixed-methods design with relatively small qualitative sample (n=15). Study type and specific methodological details not clearly reported. Self-reported data may introduce bias. Limited detail on outcome measurements and validation of positive learning outcomes.

The COVID-19 pandemic stretched between 2020 and 2021 and witnessed impactful changes in the education system inclusive of the special education sector. The special education sector selected online teaching-learning to continue the studies of their students with the help of the parents. The study aimed to find out the challenges faced by parents of people with autism enrolled in special schools who attended online classes along with their children and supported their teaching-learning. The mixed method study (sequential explanatory design) opted for quantitative phases followed by a qualitative phase for further in-depth exploration of the focus area.

The quantitative phase consists of 100 participant parents and the qualitative phase consists of 15 participant parents recruited from phase one of the study through purposive sampling based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data were collected via web forms and online interviews were recorded. The univariate analysis was used for the quantitative phase whereas thematic analysis was used for the qualitative phase. The parents had to manage office work, childcare, assisting in online classes, handling the psychological and behavioral issues of the child.

Even challenges like learning new technology, managing additional expenses and personal stress were reported. The enormous efforts of the parents helped to overcome many of the challenges and achieve positive learning outcomes. Nevertheless, some recommendations like arrangement of parental workshops, increase in tech education and occasional hybrid mode of learning is suggested.