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1.
Acta Epileptologica ; 4(1):1-10, 2022.
Article in English | ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-20244479

ABSTRACT

BackgroundThis study was aimed to investigate whether patients with epilepsy (PWE) have higher depression and anxiety levels than the normal population in low-risk areas for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the northern part of Guizhou Province, China, during the COVID-19 epidemic, to evaluate their knowledge on COVID-19, and to analyze related factors for the psychological distress of PWE at this special time.MethodsThe survey was conducted online from February 28, 2020 to March 7, 2020 via a questionnaire. PWE from the outpatient clinic of epilepsy of the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, and healthy people matched for age and sex, participated in this study. Mental health was assessed via a generalized anxiety self-rating scale (GAD-7) and the self-rating depression scale (PHQ-9). The knowledge of COVID-19 in both groups was investigated.ResultsThere were no significant differences in the general demographics between the PWE and healthy control groups. The scores of PHQ-9 (P < 0.01) and GAD-7 (P < 0.001) were higher in the PWE group than in the healthy group. There was a significant difference in the proportions of respondents with different severities of depression and anxiety, between the two groups, which revealed significantly higher degree of depression and anxiety in PWE than in healthy people (P = 0, P = 0). Overwhelming awareness and stressful concerns for the pandemic and female patients with epilepsy were key factors that affect the level of anxiety and depression in PWE. Further, the PWE had less accurate knowledge of COVID-19 than healthy people (P < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the knowledge of virus transmission route, incubation period, susceptible population, transmission speed, clinical characteristics, and isolation measures on COVID-19 (P > 0.05). PWE knew less about some of the prevention and control measures of COVID-19 than healthy people.ConclusionsDuring the COVID-19 epidemic, excessive attention to the epidemic and the female sex are factors associated with anxiety and depression in PWE, even in low-risk areas.

2.
Asia-Pacific Education Researcher ; 32(3):367-377, 2023.
Article in English | ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-20243080

ABSTRACT

Children and young people with disability are a "vulnerable" population within a pandemic context as they face structural inequities and discrimination as a result of their impairments. In this paper, we report research that sought to examine the learning experiences of children and young people with disability during the COVID-19 pandemic. We wanted to understand how this group fared and whether different interventions impacted on these experiences. Data were collected from an online survey organized by Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA) that garnered responses from more than 700 families. The study contributes empirical evidence to the growing literature about COVID-19-related impacts on learners already recognized as experiencing multiple disadvantages in schooling. We find some significant gaps in supports offered to students with disability and their families. Notwithstanding that some students did not receive any support from their schools, where supports were offered, social supports had the greatest positive impact on feelings of learner engagement. Our findings support key propositions in the social and emotional learning literature, namely that particular resourcing should be dedicated to social interaction and feelings of belonging as these are crucial to learners engaging in learning processes. There are clear implications of these findings in terms of what educational institutions might do to help engage students with disability in remote learning.

3.
Infants & Young Children: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Early Childhood Intervention ; 36(3):211-227, 2023.
Article in English | CINAHL | ID: covidwho-20242948

ABSTRACT

Despite the widespread use of distance learning during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, little is known about the developmental appropriateness of this instructional format for preschoolers, particularly when implemented in inclusive settings. The current research was implemented in a university-affiliated, state-funded inclusive preschool classroom focused on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) where parents were given the option to enroll in a full distance program (FDP) during the first 9 weeks of the 2020/21 school year. Parents of four children, including two children with ASD, selected the FDP option. Synchronous whole group, small group, and individual online sessions were recorded using screen capture and coded for children's maintained attention and directed communication. Further, parents and teachers completed exit interviews or a focus group, which were transcribed and analyzed using qualitative research methods. This is the first study to use observational methods to measure child engagement during preschool FDP sessions. Results from this mixed-method multiple case study paint a rich picture of both opportunities and limitations inherent in distance learning when implemented in inclusive preschool settings. General conclusions, future directions, and study limitations are discussed.

4.
Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering ; 84(8-B):No Pagination Specified, 2023.
Article in English | APA PsycInfo | ID: covidwho-20242071

ABSTRACT

Many students had to transition to online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic while other students were already enrolled in online education. Online study may hold additional struggles for students with learning disabilities. The problem addressed in this qualitative, phenomenological study was the motivating factors of online higher education students who have a learning disability during the COVID-19 pandemic. The theoretical foundation was Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Data were gathered through 10 semistructured interviews and then analyzed through the thematic analysis yielding five themes: (a) lack of professional support, (b) resources, (c) support system, (d) consistent motivation, and (e) low motivation. These findings showed that students needed support within families and educational institutions to continue to be successful in their schooling and motivated. Additionally, it showed that students needed resources to better help them succeed in their assignments. Implications for positive social change include better understanding of how students are motivated when doing online school despite the different challenges they may be experiencing. Additionally, this study may also contribute to social change by informing other students that they are not alone during the process of their education and that there are ways to continue to be motivated. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

5.
Institute of Education Sciences ; 2023.
Article in English | ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-20241917

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the educational experiences of diverse student populations throughout the country and among Virginia public schools. English Learners (ELs) had a unique set of needs and services prior to the pandemic, and potentially were more vulnerable to pandemic-related disruptions in typical school operations than other student groups. We analyze statewide, student-level administrative data on the composition of the EL population, the identification for and reclassification out of EL services, and the exit of ELs from public school enrollment in kindergarten through grade twelve between the 2010-11 and 2020-21 school years to examine changes between the pre-pandemic period and first post-pandemic onset year (2020-21). Our key findings include the following: (1) Following the onset of the pandemic, the number of students classified as EL decreased for the first time in a decade. Specifically, whereas the number of students classified as EL increased by 26.0% (25,171 more students) between 2010-11 and 2019-20, the number of students classified as EL decreased by 3.2% (3,852 fewer students) between 2019-20 and the first post-pandemic onset year (2020-21). (2) There was a 21.6% decline (6,223 fewer students) in the number of Virginia K-12 public school students newly identified for EL services in 2020-21 as compared to 2019-20. The drop in new EL identification occurred across student groups, but was largest among Hispanic students, economically disadvantaged students, and ninth graders. (3) The number of EL students reclassified as fully English proficient decreased by 57.3% (8,169 fewer students) in 2020-21 as compared to the pre-pandemic period. This decline is nearly three times the size of the previous largest year-to-year change. The drops in reclassification among ELs occurred across student groups and were somewhat larger among Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students. (4) EL students' exits from Virginia public schools in the post-pandemic onset were a continuation of pre-pandemic trends and did not meaningfully vary by race/ethnicity, economically disadvantaged status, or disability status.

6.
Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research ; 5(2):233-254, 2022.
Article in English | ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-20241482

ABSTRACT

Despite the Americans with Disabilities Act being more than 30 years old, many government institutions fail to fully support their constituents, and provide understandable and actionable crisis communications before, during, and after emergencies and disasters. When residents do not effectively receive, understand, and act on crisis communications in a timely manner, life safety issues can occur. People may choose not to evacuate when necessary or lack the information for properly sheltering-in-place. These and other bad decisions can be deadly. Crisis communications, as a subset of risk communications, should be aligned with all the disaster phase cycles—the before, during, and after stages of disasters and crises—so that impacted residents obtain complete information they can use. U.S. government websites, including posted crisis communications public releases, must be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) under Title II and they should use templated crisis communications available in other languages, English-only audio recordings, and videos of American Sign Language.

7.
Routledge international handbook of therapeutic stories and storytelling ; : 30-42, 2022.
Article in English | APA PsycInfo | ID: covidwho-20241310

ABSTRACT

This chapter describe a Storytelling and Narrative Medicine pilot study which focused on communication in therapeutic settings. The research was carried out by a group of Italian Health Care professionals (HCP) from Calambrone Institute for Rehabilitation (IRC), at the IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, along with a group of parents of patients with disabilities. However, because of the Covid-19 outbreak in Italy, many of the participants found themselves in lockdown in their own homes with their children. To evaluate the efficacy of storytelling as a tool for emotional and communication support, the authors submitted to both the HCP and parents two original online surveys to get information on their current emotional state. The assessed areas were personal stress, the relationship with children and family members, and the relationship with colleagues and professionals. The chapter focuses on emotional and psychological consequences that lack of social and therapeutic interactions might have produced. This short but effective educational intervention gives skills and knowledge to structure one's feelings and thoughts in a narrative form, equipping the participants with the resources to perceive themselves and their life experiences as the elements of the story. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

8.
Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences ; 84(9-A):No Pagination Specified, 2023.
Article in English | APA PsycInfo | ID: covidwho-20240446

ABSTRACT

As the need for virtual instruction increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers faced changes in the way they had to instruct students. This sudden change impacted the delivery of information by middle school teachers who had been accustomed to the traditional (face-to-face) method of instructing their students with disabilities. This study was designed to explore teachers' perspectives on the challenges facing middle school students with disabilities in a virtual classroom during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three research questions guided the study: (a) What were teachers' perspectives on their preparation to deliver virtual instruction? (b) What strategies were implemented to serve students with disabilities in the virtual classroom?(c) What were teachers' perspectives on the benefits and challenges of virtual instruction for students with disabilities? The researcher used data from a demographic survey and interview questions from 15 special education and regular elementary, middle, and high school teachers of students with disabilities to explore the teachers' perspectives on the transition from traditional instruction to virtual instruction. Three themes evolved: Professional Development/Training in technology and adapting virtual learning to students with disabilities, Strategies to better assist these students in virtual learning, and Challenges and Benefits of teachers' transition from traditional to virtual instruction. The results of this study showed a need for professional training to provide new strategies to assist educators as they transition from traditional to virtual instruction. The study also revealed that teachers faced challenges while instructing students virtually, although teachers acknowledged some benefits. Study implications were that teachers found the transition difficult and encountered many problems with their students not experienced in the traditional classroom. Further research is needed with larger populations to explore teachers' transitions from traditional to virtual instruction, their needs for professional development and training, and means of support for students with disabilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

9.
The Science Teacher ; 90(3):20-24, 2023.
Article in English | ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-20239906

ABSTRACT

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified certain populations as being particularly vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic, including racial and ethnic minority populations, people living in rural or frontier areas, people experiencing homelessness, essential and frontline workers, people with disabilities, people with substance use disorders, people in incarcerated populations, and individuals born outside of the United States (CDC 2020). Because the pandemic is affecting people and communities disproportionately, we knew students needed to explore the social and historical dimensions of the pandemic that resulted from systemic inequalities. Throughout the unit, they work toward a better understanding of the following ideas: * How the COVID-19 virus is transmitted between individuals and within communities * How mitigation strategies lower the chance of transmitting the COVID-19 virus between individuals and across communities * An understanding that there are differences in how diseases spread across different communities that cannot be explained without taking social, historical, and economic factors into account and that understanding the larger social context, policies, and practices can help us understand disproportionate impacts within and between communities * How others are affected during a public health crisis and how empathizing with them can help us better protect ourselves and the people in our communities Our commitment to providing the information that young people need to understand COVID-19 and other pandemics led to an interesting discovery about the NGSS. Attempt to make sense of the phenomenon or problem Students share the patterns they observed from the data and create initial models to explain how and why communities were affected by COVID-19 differently (see Figure 1). [...]social awareness is defined as the ability to (1) take the perspective of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds and cultures;(2) understand social and ethical norms for behavior;and (3) recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.

10.
Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities ; 2023.
Article in English | Scopus | ID: covidwho-20239603

ABSTRACT

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the use of videoconferencing when conducting multi-disciplinary team (MDT) and handover meetings within an NHS Adult Learning Disabilities Intensive Support Team (IST). The IST have been conducting MDT and handover meetings "virtually” since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, in line with government guidance. It is pertinent to evaluate the effectiveness of using videoconferencing, as the move to flexible, remote working is detailed within the NHS Long Term Plan. Design/methodology/approach: Participants were members of the IST. A mixed methods approach using an online questionnaire collected participant's views relating to the use of videoconferencing when conducting MDT and handover meetings, in comparison to previous face-to-face meetings. The questionnaire considered five key areas: accessibility, environment and communication, organisation, continuation of care and data protection and confidentiality. Results were collated and analysed. Findings: Improvements were reported relating to accessibility, as the virtual format allowed for easier attendance, provided greater flexibility in attending and inviting key stakeholders. A reduced sense of team connectedness was reported, related to the virtual environment. The majority of participants reported that they wish to continue to have the option to attend meetings virtually in future. Originality/value: There are no previous papers evaluating the use of videoconferencing within ISTs during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study suggests that the use of videoconferencing to conduct MDT and handover meetings is effective within the IST and highlights points for consideration moving forward. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

11.
Hand Therapy ; 28(2):72-84, 2023.
Article in English | EMBASE | ID: covidwho-20239515

ABSTRACT

Introduction: de Quervain's syndrome is a painful condition commonly presented to hand therapists. Exercise is utilised as an intervention, but isometric exercise has not been investigated. We aimed to assess the feasibility and safety of isometric thumb extension exercise for de Quervain's syndrome and to explore differences between high-load and low-load isometric exercise. Method(s): This parallel-group randomised clinical feasibility trial included individuals with de Quervain's syndrome. All participants underwent a 2 week washout period where they received an orthosis, education, and range of motion exercises. Eligible participants were then randomised to receive high or low-load isometric thumb extension exercises, performed daily for 4 weeks. Feasibility and safety were assessed by recruitment and drop-out rates, adherence, adverse events, and participant feedback via semi-structured interviews. Secondary outcomes included patient-reported outcomes for pain and function, and blinded assessment of range of motion and strength. Result(s): Twenty-eight participants were randomised. There were no drop-outs after randomisation, and no serious adverse events. Adherence to exercise was 86.7%, with 84% of participants stating they would choose to participate again. There were clinically and statistically significant improvements in pain and function over time (p < 0.001) but not in range of motion or strength. There were no statistically significant between-group differences. Conclusion(s): Isometric thumb extension exercise within a multimodal approach appears a safe and feasible intervention for people with de Quervain's syndrome. A large multi-centre trial would be required to compare high- and low-load isometric exercises. Further research investigating exercise and multimodal interventions in this population is warranted.Copyright © The Author(s) 2023.

12.
APA PsycInfo; 2023.
Non-conventional in English | APA PsycInfo | ID: covidwho-20239340

ABSTRACT

A case study is a research approach that is used to generate an in-depth, multifaceted understanding of a complex issue in its real-life context. It is both time- and space-bound and is useful to explore, describe, and explain phenomena. It is an established research design that is used extensively in a wide variety of disciplines, particularly in the social sciences, including education. Many master's programs employ the case study methodology as the basis for the culminating project. The case study methodology is especially relevant to advancing "younger disciplines" such as educational therapy. Many do not understand the training and difference in approaches between an Educational Therapist and a tutor, so publishing case studies is crucial. This book presents a board-certified educational therapist's year-long case study of clinical supports and advocacy for a student with learning disabilities who is attending school remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. With online and blended learning, now the norm in K-12 education, educational therapists need new models of intervention, treatment, and relationship-building for their child-age clients. The book offers detailed single-case research focused on a middle-school student who is learning virtually while challenged with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder as well as visual and verbal memory issues, but who is nonetheless found ineligible for special education services. Across eight chapters, the book describes the neuropsychological principles, research-based techniques, personal interactions, clinical approaches, and advocacy efforts that led to a vulnerable student's significant gains in academic skills and outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

13.
Health & Social Care in the Community ; 2023, 2023.
Article in English | ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-20238765

ABSTRACT

Digital technology is expected to improve care and address significant service pressures within the National Health Service and social care though evidence on how their implementation might be optimised is lacking. This study explores how one such example, home-based sensors with artificial intelligence capabilities, was implemented in English social care to identify changes in behaviour that indicate the onset of potentially more serious issues. Its focus was staff perspectives on decision-making processes and implementation, to inform recommendations for others exploring the potential of new and emerging technology. Qualitative data were collected from 18 semistructured interviews conducted across three sites delivering social care, with senior decision makers, operational leads, and care staff. We identified several issues with the selection process and implementation of AI-based technology in social care, including a lack of consensus around what success would look like, problems identifying and evaluating alternatives, and technical challenges to implementation, as well as obstacles to developing a longer-term, more preventative approach in a system experienced as focused on responding to acute needs. Ultimately, the research confirmed a number of recognised implementation challenges associated with training, resource, and acceptability to staff and patients. It added particular insights around the anxieties experienced by frontline staff and the cultural shift required of preventative interventions in a system geared to meeting acute crises. That many barriers are familiar suggests a particular need to focus on helping policymakers/local leaders avoid similar pitfalls in the future.

14.
International Journal of Special Education ; 38(1):185-199, 2023.
Article in English | Scopus | ID: covidwho-20237895

ABSTRACT

COVID-19, as a global pandemic, has generated extreme disruptions and challenges worldwide in social, economic, healthcare, and educational sys-tems. To reduce the virus's transmission, education systems moved to remote learning in the spring of 2020, with little to no time for preparation. This paper examines the educational experiences of parents of students with disabilities whose children attended PreK-6th public schools in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic using a Disability Studies in Education theoretical framework. In this qualitative phenomenological study, we interviewed 15 mothers of students with disabilities on Zoom. Using constant-comparative data analysis, we identified a theme revealing mothers' new identities as teachers of their children with disabilities at home, which brought unique challenges and opportunities. The mothers' challenges were related to the school's overreliance on them in remote learning, balancing multiple responsibilities, the need to re-learn academic content and new technology, and the colli-sion of teacher and mom identities and school and home boundaries. These challenges strained mother-child relationships and negatively influenced the mothers' mental health and well-being. However, their new identity as new teachers also generated new opportunities. Particularly, remote learning made school practices transparent, and mothers reconceptualized their children's abilities and realized their competence for learning. © 2022 Authors.

15.
International Journal of Telerehabilitation ; 15(1), 2023.
Article in English | Scopus | ID: covidwho-20237681

ABSTRACT

In response to COVID-19, the New York City Early Intervention (EI) Program rapidly transitioned from in-person to teletherapy services. We describe the timing of service resumption among children who received EI services between March 1 and March 17, 2020. The proportion of children who transitioned to teletherapy-only was 25% as of March 24, rising to 78% by July 6. By December 31, 2020, 87% of the cohort had resumed either teletherapy or in-person services. Child age, race, language, and neighborhood poverty all predicted service resumption timing. Children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder were more likely to transition to teletherapy, and children with only 1-2 domains of delay were more likely to discontinue services altogether. Continuity of EI services during the COVID-19 public health emergency was a critical priority. Timely policy changes facilitated swift return to services and avoided exacerbation of the long-standing racial disparities in access to EI services. © 2023, University Library System, University of Pittsburgh. All rights reserved.

16.
Learning Disabilities Research & Practice ; : No Pagination Specified, 2023.
Article in English | APA PsycInfo | ID: covidwho-20237577

ABSTRACT

This study examined the emotional costs and well-being of postsecondary students with learning disabilities (LD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who faced a sudden shift to emergency remote teaching (ERT) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was conducted with 237 postsecondary students in Israel from June to July 2020. With regard to online learning, the LD/ADHD subjects reported significantly higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression and lower well-being than their neurotypical counterparts. However, no significant differences were found in emotional costs and well-being when the same students had experienced online learning prior to the pandemic. These findings have practical implications for policymakers in academia with regard to the emotional toll of online learning among students with LD/ADHD and their specific needs when facing ERT during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the contribution of previous online learning when facing ERT. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

17.
National Center for Education Statistics ; 2023.
Article in English | ProQuest Central | ID: covidwho-20237184

ABSTRACT

The "Report on the Condition of Education" is a congressionally mandated annual report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Using the most recent data available (at the time this report was written) from NCES and other sources, the report contains key indicators on the condition of education in the United States at all levels, from prekindergarten through postsecondary, as well as labor force outcomes and international comparisons. There are core indicators that are updated every year and spotlight indicators that provide in-depth analyses on topics of interest to education agencies, policymakers, researchers, and the public. At the broadest level, the Condition of Education Indicator System is organized into five sections: family characteristics;preprimary, elementary, and secondary education;postsecondary education;population characteristics and economic outcomes;and international comparisons. The Report on the "Condition of Education 2023" encompasses key findings from the Condition of Education Indicator System. The full contents of the Indicator System can be accessed online through the website or by downloading PDFs for the individual indicators. [For "The Condition of Education 2023": At a Glance, see ED628291. For the "Report on the Condition of Education 2022. NCES 2022-144," see ED619870.]

18.
Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences ; 84(9-A):No Pagination Specified, 2023.
Article in English | APA PsycInfo | ID: covidwho-20234636

ABSTRACT

This qualitative case study examined the complicated process that School Building Learning Communities (SBLCs) navigated in regard to the pre-referral process due to the pandemic. Rooted in the theories of John Dewey (2018) and Howard Gardner (1996), this research was conducted by way of interviews and a reflective journal of 12 educational diagnosticians serving a school district in Southeastern Louisiana. Data was coded via Braun and Clark's thematic analysis (1996). Results of the study indicated the teams of lack of learning opportunity, interventions/remediation, SBLCs and school staff, and the legalities of classification. All participants believed that increased school-wide interventions were the key to mitigating the pandemic's influence on student's education and to help establish what are actual learning struggles versus lack of learning opportunity. A significant challenge to schools' ability to conduct interventions was due to staff shortages and the actual implementation due to chronic student absences. The participants also discussed the concerns of classification due to many uncharted scenarios presented by the pandemic. Future research should be conducted on the socioemotional impacts of the pandemic based on the participants concerns over behavior. Additionally, it would be beneficial for the examination of retention of staff as well as the implications on higher education. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

19.
Rural Special Education Quarterly ; 42(2):59-60, 2023.
Article in English | CINAHL | ID: covidwho-20234428

ABSTRACT

An introduction to journal is presented in which the author discusses articles within the issue on topics including differences in the receipt and delivery of extended school year services in the U.S., ways to sustain work experiences in rural communities and improve for youth with disabilities, and professional development model for secondary mathematics co-teaching.

20.
Archives of Rehabilitation ; 23(4):560-583, 2023.
Article in English | Web of Science | ID: covidwho-20233388

ABSTRACT

Objective Families with mentally-retarded children need more support than other families in overcoming crises and achieving social adjustment. So, it seems necessary to pay special attention to these families durinzg the COVID-19 pandemic and identify their experiences and challenges to provide more support for this vulnerable group. Therefore, the present study was carried out in care centers under the supervision of the Tehran state welfare organization of Iran (SWO) during the COVID-19 pandemic to identify the challenges of families with mentally retarded children.Materials & Methods The present study was conducted with a qualitative approach and contractual content analysis method of Granheim and Lundman (2004). The participants were 18 families with mentally-retarded children living in care centers under the supervision of the Tehran State welfare organization of Iran (SWO), who were selected by purposive sampling. Sampling was continued until data saturation. Data were collected and analyzed using in-person or online (telephone) in-depth semi-structured interviews from July 11 to September 22, 2021. To evaluate the data strength, four criteria of credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability of Guba and Lincoln were used.Results Based on data analysis, 6 main categories and 23 subcategories were obtained. The main categories and subcategories included 1) constant worry about their children getting COVID-19 (inability of the child to protect against coronavirus, not observing protocols by the staff, underlying diseases and deficiency in immune system, few preventive measure for under 18 years people, conflicting information about children and adolescents' in-fection), 2) disconnection and intensification of stress (agitation and irritability of the disabled, worry about the future, parent's mental confusion, fear of losing child), 3) conflict with family tensions and contradiction (intensification of family guilt, overlooking other children, couple's self-blaming, tension in family interactions, intensification of family melancholia), 4) non-supportive community (further social stigma, social exclusion, lack of sup-porting vulnerable groups, the limitations of social distancing), 5) family economic crisis (costs of keeping child in the center, losing job and lower income of the family head, poverty and intensification of unstable economic conditions), and 6) care and educational concerns (decreasing the quality of care for the disabled, suspension of rehabilitation and educational activities, restrictions on leisure activities and communication for the disabled).Conclusion The results showed that the families of mentally-retarded children had encountered many challenges and concerns during the COVID-19 epidemic, some of which were related to the intensification of psychological pressures and some due to insufficient support from governmental and non-governmental institutions for these families. The study findings can be used to provide services and design support programs and policies for children with mental disabilities and their families. In this regard, it is recommended to pay special living allowances, strengthen the communication system between parents and children living in care centers, prepare a care and health packages for parents, design and implement psychological interventions to reduce parents' anxiety and stress, and provide free counseling.

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