Spartan Caregiver Support: Program Description and Key Findings During Michigan’s Stay-At-Home Order

• Published in: Advances in neurodevelopmental disorders Vol. 7; no. 3; pp. 459 - 468
• Main Authors: White, Allison N., Brodhead, Matthew T., Sipila-Thomas, Emma S., Miranda, David Ray G., Long, Holly M., Fisher, Marisa H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.09.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Autistic children; Behavior; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Caregivers; Child and School Psychology; COVID-19; Developmental Psychology; Families & family life; Neurosciences; Original Paper; Pandemics; Psychiatry; Psychology; Public Health; Shelter in place; Social Work; Stress; Telemedicine; United States > US; Michigan; COVID-19; Qualitative research; Autism; Telehealth; Technology; Caregiver
• ISSN: 2366-7532; 2366-7540
• DOI: 10.1007/s41252-022-00281-7

Objectives The purpose of this paper is to describe a university program, Spartan Caregiver Support, that provided free on-demand telehealth services to caregivers of people with autism during the State of Michigan’s 2020 Stay-at-Home order. Method Participants ( n  = 17) were caregivers of people with autism residing within the State of Michigan. Participants engaged with program members over video-conference technology, where participants received specific advice to support social and behavioral needs. Results We found that caregivers reported a variety of social and behavioral concerns, including concerns related to problem behavior, social/play skills, school/academics, and daily living. Conclusions This program description provides a framework for how to deliver on-demand telehealth support to caregivers of people with autism, especially during moments of crisis or emergency.