Families of Children with Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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Monika Parchomiuk
Beata Szabała

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant challenges and difficulties in all areas of people’s lives world-wide. Reports to date show that it has caused significant changes in the quality of everyday functioning of people with disabilities and their families, as well as in rehabilitation, treatment, and education. The article presents the results of authors’ own research involving parents of children with disabilities. The research goal was to learn about parents’ functioning during the COVID-19 pandemic, investigating problems, needs and coping strategies, taking into account the perspectives of parents, children, and entire families. A questionnaire designed by the authors was used. The material collected from 85 parents (mainly mothers) confirmed the occurrence of unfavorable changes and psychosocial experiences in all three analyzed areas related to the pandemic, especially the restrictions that accompany the pandemic. The analysis showed the importance of strategies based on the use of support, especially informal one.

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References

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