Autistic People and Telehealth Practice During the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Scoping Review

AbstractRestrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated changes to health and social care services, including the use of telehealth. Prior to COVID-19, there was interest in telehealth for autistic people; however, little is known about its use during the pandemic. This scoping review focused on telehealth for autistic people during the pandemic. It was pre-registered on PROSPERO, and the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews was followed. Ten databases identified 45 sources, which were categorised into two themes: (1) the nature of the shift to telehealth during the pandemic and (2) service evaluations. Large disruptions were reported across settings, and experiences were variable. New areas were developed, including telehealth with autistic children and adults, autistic people with intellectual disabilities, and minimally verbal autistic people.
Source: Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - Category: Child Development Source Type: research