Vécus de familles d’enfants autistes en période de confinement : étude exploratoire

Chamak, B.

OBJECTIVE: The lockdown periods associated with the Covid-19 pandemic are a particularly significant challenge for families of children with autism. Exchanges by e-mail and interviews were aimed at collecting testimonies from parents for a better understanding of their difficulties and the help provided by the mobilization of professionals. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eight parents of autistic children living in the Seine-Saint-Denis area agreed to testify about their experience, either in person, taking into account the barrier measures after the first lockdown, or by telephone during the second lockdown. By way of comparison, e-mails were exchanged with a mother and two fathers of autistic children from higher socio-economic backgrounds living in other parts of France or Belgium. While at the beginning of the first lockdown, some children may have felt soothed by being at home with their parents, the extension of the situation led to crises related to feelings of anxiety or boredom. Despite the closure of many medical-social facilities, professionals mobilized to continue helping families and children whose routines were disrupted. CONCLUSION: Depending on the conditions of lockdown, the families’ experiences differed and evolved over time. The major problems encountered by some families were the worsening of their child's troubles (self-harm, tantrums, violence, and shouting). Pedagogical tools were adapted by the teachers, activity sheets were sent out, group workshops were organized, and consultations were given at a distance. The teams of the child psychiatry services and the medico-social services have mobilized themselves and have shown reactivity and inventiveness in order to ensure the care and follow-up of children and their families.