Parent satisfaction with the parent-provider partnership and therapy service delivery for children with disabilities during COVID-19: Associations with sociodemographic variables.

INTRODUCTION

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) significantly disrupted therapy service delivery for children with disabilities and their families. Parents of children with disabilities have been particularly impacted as a large degree of responsibility has been placed on them to both manage and deliver therapies remotely. However, little is known regarding whether sociodemographic factors are associated with parents' perceptions of therapy service delivery during COVID-19. This study explored the relationship between sociodemographic factors and parents' satisfaction with therapies for children with disabilities during COVID-19.

METHOD

Two hundred seven parents of children with disabilities completed an online survey battery that included the Family-Provider Partnership Scale and sociodemographic characteristics and assessed their satisfaction with their child[ren]'s therapies during COVID-19.

RESULTS

Access to telehealth, receipt of only school-based therapies, parent education, number of household essential workers, and total number of children were associated with satisfaction with therapy service and/or the family-provider partnership.

DISCUSSION

By better understanding the association between sociodemographic factors and parent perception of therapy service delivery, providers can better support families in optimizing service delivery during the remainder of COVID-19 mitigation efforts and during future periods of service disruption. This study provides insight into the sociodemographic characteristics that are associated with lower levels of satisfaction and thus require more tailored support from providers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).