Parent Satisfaction With the Parent-Provider Partnership and Therapy Service Delivery for Children With Disabilities During COVID-19: Associations With Sociodemographic Variables

• Published in: Families systems & health 2023-03, Vol.41 (1), p.92-100
• Main Authors: Murphy, Ashley N., Bruckner, Ellie, Pinkerton, Linzy M., Risser, Heather J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Child; Children with disabilities; Coronavirus; COVID-19; Demographic Characteristics; Disabled Children; Early Intervention; Family Characteristics; Female; Health care delivery; Human; Humans; Male; Parental Attitudes; Parents; Satisfaction; Sociodemographics; Special Education; Surveys and Questionnaires; Telemedicine
• ISSN: 1091-7527; 1939-0602
• DOI: 10.1037/fsh0000720

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. Public Significance Statement This study provides context for clinicians regarding what sociodemographic variables are associated with parent satisfaction with their child[ren]'s disability-related therapy service delivery and with the parent-provider partnership during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings can support providers in identifying families who need additional support to ensure optimal service delivery for their child[ren] during periods of service disruptions while highlighting the importance of tailoring service delivery to each family's unique set of needs.