Parent-reported autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptomatology of children with ASD during the COVID-19 pandemic: a 1.5-year longitudinal study

ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic and the associative preventive measures have had profound societal impacts. Children and adolescents with a pre-existing diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were considered particularly vulnerable.MethodsThis longitudinal study examined parent-reported ASD symptomatology of children with pre-existing ASD diagnoses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved 39 children and adolescents with ASD (5-19 years; 66% males) and utilized multiple regression analyses to assess ASD symptomatology (SRS-2) across three time points: pre-COVID-19 pandemic (T0), one year into the pandemic (T1; during the second national lockdown) and one and a half years into the pandemic (T2; during a period of less restrictive measures). Additionally, the study examined the potential moderating effects of Age, Sex, and full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) on ASD symptomatology.ResultsThe findings indicate relative stability of ASD symptomatology over time, irrespective of age, sex, or FSIQ. Contrary to previous research, no significant exacerbation or alleviation of ASD symptomatology during the COVID-19 pandemic was observed.ConclusionsThis study highlights the robustness of ASD symptomology, even in the face of significant external stressors such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The implications of these findings for further research and clinical practice in the field of ASD are discussed.