COVID-19 and lockdown?s psychological impact on children with neurodevelopmental disorders

The research aimed to investigate the first nationwide lockdown's psychological impact (March-May 2020) on children with neurodevelopmental disorders, as well as the onset of symptomatology stress-related according to the parents.Method: An online survey has been spread on social networks for one month (July 2020) ad-dressed to parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. The study included 443 Italian parents, especially from Lombardy, Tuscany, Lazio and Piedmont.Results: Parents reported children's difficulties in distance learning (61,2%). Children suspended specialized interventions (62,5%). A great number of parents reported the onset of symptoms in their children: attention problems, concentration difficulties, irritability, sleep disorders and anxiety. Specifically, half of the parents revealed symptoms' worsening of children's disorder (54,4%).Conclusions: The lockdown period have had a great psychological impact on children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders and a worsening of their clinical status.