COVID-19 Infection and Mitigation for Young Children With Autism and Other Disabilities.

This study found that children with autism and other developmental disabilities were three times more likely to test positive for COVID-19 than other children. Children with autism had more trouble with safety measures like wearing masks, washing hands, and staying physically distant from others. They also had difficulty with COVID-19 testing procedures. These findings show that children with disabilities need extra support during health emergencies.

This study examined COVID-19 infection rates and adherence to mitigation strategies among 1,027 young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), other developmental disabilities (DD), and typically developing children from the general population. Children with ASD and DD had three times higher rates of positive COVID-19 tests compared to the general population. Children with ASD experienced significantly more difficulty with all three mitigation strategies (mask-wearing, handwashing, physical distancing) and nasal swabbing procedures. Children with DD had particular difficulties with handwashing and physical distancing.

The findings highlight the vulnerability of children with disabilities during public health emergencies and emphasize the need for tailored support strategies for this population during pandemic responses and seasonal respiratory illness periods.

Healthcare providers should develop disability-specific protocols for pandemic response. Children with ASD and DD may require additional infection prevention support and modified approaches to health measures. Early planning and individualized strategies are essential for future public health emergencies to protect this vulnerable population.

Study type is not specified in the abstract. Sample size breakdown by group is not provided. The study relied on caregiver-reported outcomes which may introduce reporting bias. No details provided about severity of ASD or types of other developmental disabilities included.

This study investigated prevalence of positive tests for COVID-19 infection and difficulties with mitigation strategies among young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities (DD) compared with children from the general population (population comparison group [POP]). Before the pandemic, children aged 2 to 5 years in the Study to Explore Early Development (SEED) completed a developmental assessment assigning them to a study group (ASD, other DD, or POP). Caregivers were recontacted in 2021 to complete a questionnaire assessing the impact of the pandemic in 2020 when children were aged 3 to 8 years. Modified Poisson regression models assessed the relationship between study group and difficulty with mitigation strategies and nasal swabbing.

Caregivers of 1027 SEED participants completed the survey. Prevalence of having 1 or more positive COVID-19 tests was 3 times higher for children in the ASD and DD groups versus the POP group. In adjusted models, children in the ASD group were more likely to have difficulty with all 3 mitigation strategies and nasal swabbing compared with children in the POP group. The DD group were more likely than the POP group to experience difficulty with handwashing and physical distancing.

Compared with the general population, youth with ASD and DD were more likely to have at least 1 positive COVID-19 test and difficulty following mitigation strategies. These findings underscore the importance of supporting youth with ASD and DDs in anticipation of future public health emergencies and the annual respiratory disease season.