Educational Social Skills and Parental Mental Health in COVID-19: Relationships with Child Behavior in ASD
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1590/Keywords:
parent-child relations, social skills, COVID-19, children, Autism Spectrum DisorderAbstract
This study aimed to evaluate changes in the treatment of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) during the COVID-19 pandemic, assess and correlate educational social skills (ESS), the mental health of parents/caregivers, children’s social skills (SS) and behavioral problems (BP), and compare ESS between parents with and without mental health indicators. Reports from 69 participants were analyzed using the IHSE-parents, DASS-21 and SSRS version-parents instruments. Results indicated a decrease in consultation frequency. While ESS values were average, the children’s repertoire was deficient. There was a positive correlation between ESS and SS and internalizing BP, as well as between parental mental health and SS. A negative correlation was observed between parental mental health and BP. Parents with anxiety and depression displayed a worse ESS repertoire. These findings underscore the importance of parental mental health and ESS in supporting ASD development.
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