COVID-19 and Childhood Disability

COVID-19 and Childhood Disability

Globally, no one has been untouched by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting closures of services, businesses and opportunities for social interaction. However, impacts of COVID-19 infection and subsequent closures are not equally distributed. This page presents research and reports related to disability specific COVID-19 effects and experiences from the IECSS project and from around the globe.

Child sitting in wooden cubby at a childcare centre. Surrounding shelves contain wooden block toys and picture books.

A screenshot of an IECSS team meeting on Zoom with 8 people in attendance.

Research from IECSS Project

Lawrence, B., Underwood, K., & Douglas, P. (2020). (PDF file) IECSS policy brief no. 9: Reconciling interests of children and economies during the COVID-19 pandemic: Learning from families in Brandon, Manitoba. Inclusive Early Childhood Service System project. - (PDF file) Text version
Parekh, G., & Underwood, K. (2020, May 14). Coronavirus crisis shows ableism shapes Canada's long-term care for people with disabilities (external link) . The Conversation.
Parekh, G., & Underwood, K. (2021, June 9). Learning in a pandemic: The time of coronavirus and the early years. (external link) Famly.co.
Underwood, K., & Parekh, G. (2020, June 24). Child care after the coronavirus pandemic should be more inclusive of children with disabilities (external link) . The Conversation.
Underwood, K., van Rhijn, T., Balter, A., Feltham, L., Douglas, P., Parekh, G., & Lawrence, B. (2021). Pandemic effects: ableism, exclusion, and procedural bias (external link) . Journal of Childhood Studies, 16-29.

Theory & Commentary

Brandenburg, J. E., Holman, L. K., Apkon, S.D., Houtrow, A.J., Rinaldi, R., & Sholas, M. G. (2020). School reopening during COVID-19 pandemic: Considering students with disabilities (external link) . Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine: An Interdisciplinary Approach, 13, 425-431.
Espinosa, F., Metko, A., Raimondi, M., Impenna, M., & Scognamiglio, E. (2020). A model of support for families of children with autism living in the COVID-19 lockdown: Lessons from Italy (external link) . Behavioural Analysis in Practice, 13, 550-558.
Ineese-Nash, N. (2020). Finding our power together: Working with Indigenous youth and children during COVID-19 (external link) , Child & Youth Services, 41(3), 274-276.
Lund, E. M., & Gabrielli, J. (2021). The role of pediatric psychologists in mitigating disability-specific barriers among youth during the COVID-19 pandemic (external link) . Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology, 9(1), 12–23.
Patel, K. (2020). Mental health implications of COVID-19 on children with disabilities (external link) . Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 54, 102273.
Provenzi, L., Grumi, S., & Borgatti, R. (2020). Alone with the kids: Tele-medicine for children with special healthcare needs during COVID-19 emergency. (external link) Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 2193.
Rosenbaum, P. L., Silva, M., & Camden, C. (2020). Let’s not go back to ‘normal’! lessons from COVID-19 for professionals working in childhood disability (external link) . Disability and rehabilitation, 1-7.
Schiariti, V. (2020). The human rights of children with disabilities during health emergencies: the challenge of COVID-19 (external link) . Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 62(6), 661.

Primary Data

Cacioppo, M., Bouvier, S., Bailly, R., Houx, L., Lempereur, M., Mensah-Gourmel, J., Kandalaft, C., Varengue, R., Chatelin, A., Vagnoni, J., Vuillerot, C., Gautheron, V., Dinomais, M., Dheilly, E., Brochard, S., Pons, C., & ECHO Group. (2021). Emerging health challenges for children with physical disabilities and their parents during the COVID-19 pandemic: The ECHO French survey (external link) . Annals of physical and rehabilitation medicine, 64(3), 101429.
Cahapay, M.B. (2020). How Filipino parents home educate their children with autism during COVID-19 period (external link) . International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 1-4.
Couper-Kenney, F., & Riddell, S. (2021). The impact of COVID-19 on children with additional support needs and disabilities in Scotland (external link) . European Journal of Special Needs Education, 36(1), 20-34.
Dhiman, S., Sahu, P.K., Reed, W.R., Ganesh, G.S., Goyal, R.K., & Jain, S. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 outbreak on mental health and perceived strain among caregivers tending children with special needs (external link) . Research in Developmental Disabilities, 107, 103790.
Embregts, P. J. C. M., Heerkens, L., Frielink, N., Giesbers, S., Vromans, L., & Jahoda, A. (2021). Experiences of mothers caring for a child with an intellectual disability during the COVID‐19 pandemic in the Netherlands (external link) . Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 65(8), 760-771.
Jeste, S., Hyde, C., Distefano, C., Halladay, A., Ray, S., Porath, M., Wilson, R. B., & Thurm, A. (2020). Changes in access to educational and healthcare services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities during COVID-19 restrictions (external link) . Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 64(2), 825-833.
Neece, C., McIntyre, L.L., Renning, R. (2020). Examining the impact of COVID-19 in ethnically diverse families with young children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (external link) . Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 64(10), 739-749.
Willner, P., Rose, J., Kroese, B.S., Murphy, G.H., Langdon, P.E., Clifford, C., Hutchings, H., Watkins, A., Hiles, S., & Cooper, V. (2020). Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of carers of people with intellectual disabilities (external link) . Journal of Applied Research Intellectual Disabilities, 33, 1523–1533.

A child is seated at a wooden table. The child is holding a set of car keys.

Empty playground area with chairs stacked in the left corner

An empty childcare classroom. Wood shelves filled with children's toys and a black and yellow sign with the text 'Under Construction.'

Organizational Reports

Action Aid, Education International, and Light for the Word (2020). The Bedrock of Inclusion: Why Investing in theEducation Workforce is Critical to the Delivery of SDG4. (external link) Lessons from five African countries.
Brennan, C. S. (2020). (PDF file) COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor 2020 (external link) .
Childcare Resource and Research Unit. (2020a). (PDF file) Re-opening child care centres during COVID-19 provincial/territorial guidelines for minimizing risk: Staff: child ratios, groupings and group sizes, physical space and social distancing.
Childcare Resource and Research Unit. (2020b). (PDF file) Reopening plans for schools for grades K-6 by province/territory.
Innovation to Inclusion (i2i). (2020). (PDF file) Disability and COVID-19 Influencer Pack (external link) .
Janus, M., Pottruff, M., Reid-Westoby, C. (2020). (PDF file) Hidden future front line: Educators' perspective on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on kindergarten children (HiFLEC) study: Descriptive report. (external link) Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON.
Lee, V., Albaum, C., Tablon, P., Ahmad, F., Gorter, J.W., Khanlou, N., McMorris, C., Lai, J., Harrison, C., Hedley, T., Johnston, P., Putterman, C., Spoelstra, M., & Weiss, J. (2020). (PDF file) Impact of COVID-19 on the mental health and wellbeing of caregivers and families of autistic people: A rapid synthesis review. Report prepared for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (external link) .
Nowicki, J. M. (2020). Distance Learning: Challenges Providing Services to K-12 English Learners and Students with Disabilities during COVID-19. Report to Congressional Committees (external link) . GAO-21-43. US Government Accountability Office.
Rohwerder, B., Thompson, S., Shaw, J., Wickenden, M., Kayastha, S., Sigdel, A., & Bosri, R. (2021). ‘Because of COVID, everything is a mess’ How have people with disabilities experienced the pandemic in Nepal and Bangladesh? (external link) Brighton: Institute of Development Studies.
Sisti, D., Stramondo, J., & Shaul Bar Nissim, H. (2020). Fair Resource Allocation During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case for People with Disabilities and Equality of Consideration (external link) . Ruderman Foundation.
The National Institute for Early Education Research. (2020). (PDF file) The state of preschool 2020 (external link) .
UNESCO. (2020). (PDF file) Policy brief: A disability-inclusive response to COVID-19. (external link) United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization.
UNICEF. (2020). Children with disabilities: Ensuring their inclusion in COVID-19 response strategies and evidence generation. (external link) United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Warner-Richter, M., & Lloyd, C.M. (2020). (PDF file) Considerations for building post-COVID early care and education systems that serve children with disabilities (external link) . Child Trends.

A child playing with a toy at a wooden table. Various children's toys are scattered on the table.

Table with a burgundy toque, craft supplies, and glue. Unfinished craft project left on table.

Government

Arim, R., Findlay, L., & Kohen, D. (2020). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadian families of children with disabilities (external link) . Statistics Canada.
Preston, J. (May 5, 2020). COVID-19 and disability in Canada: What urgent and emergent issues to disabled Canadians face during the COVID-19 pandemic in the near and future term? (external link) House of Commons/Chambre des Commune, Canada.
Statistics Canada. (2020). (PDF file) Impacts of COVID-19 on persons with disabilities. (external link)

Various plastic toys for children on the carpeted floor of a childcare centre.

Various children's toys are scattered across a desk in a childcare centre.

Media

Baker, M. (2020, November 23). Students with disabilities should have the option of in-person learning during COVID-19 school closures. (external link) The Conversation.
UBC Okanagan News. (2021, June 2) Health of Canadians with disabilites suffering during the pandemic. (external link) UBC Okanagan News.
Human Rights Watch (2021, July 15). Italy: Students with disabilities included in Covid-19 education plans. (external link) Human Rights Watch.
Parekh, G., & Underwood, K. (2021, June 9). How we improve accessibility in the early years. (external link) Famly.co.
Wayman, S. (2021, June 22). How the digital world has given some people voices – and taken others’ away. (external link) The Irish Times.