COVID-19-Related Facilitators and Barriers to In-Person Learning for Children With Intellectual and Development...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Disease Control
• Special Education

Background:

• Schools are vital for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
• Vulnerability to SARS-CoV-2 infection poses a barrier to in-person learning for students with IDD.
• Understanding the role of screening testing is crucial for maintaining educational continuity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how weekly SARS-CoV-2 screening testing could best support in-school learning for students with IDD during the pandemic.
• To identify facilitators and barriers to implementing screening testing in schools.
• To understand perceptions of COVID-19 mitigation strategies among school staff and parents.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study utilizing 31 focus groups with school staff and parents of children with IDD.
• Data collected during the 2020-2021 school year.
• Directed thematic content analysis was applied to examine responses.

Main Results:

• Five key themes emerged: risks of in-person learning, facilitators/barriers to screening participation, messaging strategies, and preferred messengers.
• Saliva-based SARS-CoV-2 screening testing was found to increase comfort with in-person learning for both staff and families.
• Screening testing was particularly important for students with IDD who cannot adhere to public health guidelines.

Conclusions:

• SARS-CoV-2 screening testing is a valuable tool for enabling in-person learning for students with IDD.
• Families and staff perceived screening testing as important for maintaining educational access.
• Effective implementation requires addressing barriers and utilizing appropriate messaging and messengers.