Parents’ Perception about the Effects of COVID-19 on Children with and without Disabilities based on Multiple Demographic Variables

Abstract

This study aimed to explore parents’ perception about the effects of COVID-19 on children with and without Disabilities based on Multiple Demographic Variables. The study followed the mix method research, and the study sample comprised 310 Saudi parents of children with and without disabilities. Results of this study indicated that there were statistically significant differences in the effects of the Covid-19 epidemic on the academic aspect attributed to the sex variable. The study also found that there were more obvious serious psychological effects for the age group 12-14, while the social and academic effects were more severe for the age group less than 6 years old. In addition, qualitative data indicate that the most important positive effects of the Covid-19 pandemic from the point of view of parents are the increase in the duration of family discussion sessions and the flexibility of teaching times. The study recommends conducting more research related to knowing the extent of the effects of the Covid-19 epidemic on normal individuals and people with disabilities to reach successful solutions that mitigate these effects on children when similar crises occur.