Suchergebnisse

AbstractBackgroundAlthough parental stress is higher for children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs), it is unclear how this stress compares to more commonNDs. The current study compared stress in parents of children with Williams syndrome (WS), Down syndrome (DS) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The impact of individual and contextual factors was also explored.MethodParents of children withWS(n = 107),DS(n = 79) andASD(n = 79) completed a background questionnaire, a parental stress questionnaire and a satisfaction with life questionnaire.ResultsAlthough all groups displayed similar levels of parental stress, the factors that influenced this stress differed between the groups. There were also differences for life satisfaction and relationships between parental stress and individual and contextual factors.ConclusionsAlthough parents of children withNDs are not at an increased risk of parental stress, the results suggest that interventions should be syndrome‐specific.

Individuals with special education needs have been particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as they have been shown to be at high risk of losing medical and institutional support at a time when people are being asked to stay isolated, suffering increased anxiety and depression as a consequence. Their families have often found themselves under tremendous pressure to provide support, engendering financial hardship, and physical and emotional strains. In such times, it is vital that international collaborations assess the impact on the individuals and their families, affording the opportunity to make national and international comparisons of how people have coped and what needs to be done to optimize the measures taken by families, associations and governments. This paper introduces one such collaboration.