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Reflections of the COVID-19 pandemic on health problems of children with special needs
Ayse Dost1, Sura Kaya2, Ramazan Kurucay3
1Department of Nursing, Health Sciences Faculty, Bezmialem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Insights
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted children with special needs, increasing challenges in cognition, speech, and daily living activities. Regular health assessments are crucial for continued support and rehabilitation during pandemics.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Special Education
- Public Health Emergencies
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted essential services for children with special needs.
- Understanding the pandemic's impact on daily living and health is critical for this vulnerable population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the changes in activities of daily living and health status of children with special needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To compare the health status and daily living activities of these children before and during the pandemic.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive and comparative study involving 82 students from a special education school.
- Data collected using a Personal Information Form, Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living, and Omaha System Problem Classification Scheme.
- Study conducted before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Main Results:
- The most common issues during the pandemic included cognition (86.6%), speech and language (85.4%), and mental health (75.6%).
- Significant increases in problems related to cognition, speech and language, safety, community resource communication, and caretaking were observed during the pandemic (p < 0.05; p < 0.001).
- Activities of daily living and overall health status were negatively affected.
Conclusions:
- The pandemic caused significant health detriments and educational disruptions for children with disabilities.
- Continuous health monitoring, rehabilitation, and support systems are vital for children with disabilities during public health crises.
- Pandemic preparedness plans must include provisions for the continuity of care for children with special needs.
Objective:
This research aimed to examine changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in activities of daily living and health status of children with special needs.
Method:
The current descriptive and comparative study was carried out with 82 students studying at a special education practice school that provided daytime education to children with special needs before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Personal Information Form, the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living, and the Omaha System Problem Classification Scheme were employed as data collection tools in the research.
Results:
The 10 most common problems during the COVID-19 pandemic were stated as cognition (86.6%), mental health (75.6%), speech and language (85.4%), interpersonal relationships (79.3%), personal care (79.3%), social contact (64.6%), growth and development (63.4%), neighborhood/workplace safety (58.5%), communication with community resources (57.3%), and caretaking/parenting (n = 47, 57.3%). The incidence of "cognition," "speech and language," "neighborhood/workplace safety," "communication with community resources," and "caretaking/parenting" problems of children with special needs was significantly higher during the pandemic than before the pandemic (p < 0.05; p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
The current research emphasized the significant impacts on the health of children with physical and mental disabilities and loss of opportunity, as their education was considerably interrupted during the quarantine. During a pandemic, the regular evaluation of health benefits/risks is essential to ensure the continuity of medical follow-up, rehabilitation, education, and support mechanisms for children with disabilities.
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