Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Canadian Children with Cognitive, Behavioural or Emotional Disabilities
Highlights from a Crowdsourcing Questionnaire: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians - Parenting during the Pandemic, 2020
To prevent and control the spread of COVID-19, various public health measures, including province-wide or regional lockdowns, have been implemented across Canada. These measures have been key to help curb the spread of COVID-19, but at the same time they have significantly altered Canadian families’ daily life. Disruptions in activities, school, employment and supports have had a wide range of impacts on the well-being of Canadian families, parents and children, in particular, those with greater support needs, such as children with disabilities.
Using data from Statistics Canada’s crowdsourcing questionnaire Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians: Parenting during the Pandemic, 2020, this data blog provides a snapshot of the experiences of parents who reported having children aged 0 to 14 years with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities during the early response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Comparisons are made to the experiences of parents who reported having children in the same age range with no disabilities.
Approximately 32,000 participants completed the online questionnaire between June 9 and 22, 2020 on a voluntary basis. Readers should note that data collected using crowdsourcing are not collected using a probability-based sampling design, therefore, findings cannot be generalized to the Canadian population overall. In fact, the vast majority who completed this online questionnaire were women (90.1%), born in Canada (86.4%) and post-secondary educated (94.1%).
Key findings
Parents with children aged 0 to 14 years with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities reported greater concerns in a number of health and life areas compared to parents who have children in the same age range with no disabilities.
Close to two-thirds of parents of children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities expressed concerns about their children’s general mental health.
Compared to parents of children with no disabilities, more parents with children who have cognitive, behavioural or emotional disabilities reported they were “very” or “extremely” concerned about their children’s general physical and mental health (Figure 1).
Parents’ concerns about their children’s general mental health outweighed concerns of their children’s general physical health with close to two-thirds of parents with children who have cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities reporting that they were “very” or “extremely” concerned about their children’s general mental health.
Figure 1. Concerned about children's general physical and mental health
Note: Percent calculations exclude non-responses.
Source: Statistics Canada. (2020, August 13). Crowdsourcing: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians' Parenting During the Pandemic Public Use Microdata File.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/45250006
Figure 1 - Text description
| Health area | Level of concern | Children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities (%) | Children with no disabilities (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical health | "Very" or "Extremely" | 26.6 | 21.6 |
| "Somewhat" | 50.6 | 47.9 | |
| "Not at all" | 22.8 | 30.5 | |
| Mental health | "Very" or "Extremely" | 61.3 | 42.8 |
| "Somewhat" | 34.6 | 45.6 | |
| "Not at all" | 4.1 | 11.6 |
Note: Percent calculations exclude non-responses.
Source: Statistics Canada. (2020, August 13). Crowdsourcing: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians' Parenting During the Pandemic Public Use Microdata File.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/45250006
Almost two-thirds of parents who have children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities were concerned about their children’s loneliness or isolation.
Physical distancing requirements, disruptions in school and the cancellation of extracurricular activities, social events and other supports due to the pandemic, left many families and children isolated.
While a large proportion of parents were “very” or “extremely” concerned about their children's opportunities to socialize with friends, more parents with children who have cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities were “very” or “extremely” concerned about their children’s loneliness or isolation, compared to parents who have children with no disabilities (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Concerned about children's opportunities to socialize with friends and loneliness/isolation
Note: Percent calculations exclude non-responses.
Source: Statistics Canada. (2020, August 13). Crowdsourcing: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians' Parenting During the Pandemic Public Use Microdata File.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/45250006
Figure 2 - Text description
| Life area | Level of concern | Children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities (%) | Children with no disabilities (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opportunities to socialize | "Very" or "Extremely" | 73.9 | 70.2 |
| "Somewhat" | 23.0 | 26.5 | |
| "Not at all" | 3.1 | 3.3 | |
| Loneliness/Isolation | "Very" or "Extremely" | 63.4 | 51.6 |
| "Somewhat" | 31.3 | 39.4 | |
| "Not at all" | 5.2 | 8.9 |
Note: Percent calculations exclude non-responses.
Source: Statistics Canada. (2020, August 13). Crowdsourcing: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians' Parenting During the Pandemic Public Use Microdata File.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/45250006
About 9 in 10 parents reported their children engaged in screen time on a daily basis; however, more parents (close to three-quarters) who have children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities were concerned with the amount of screen time their children engaged in, compared to parents who have children with no disabilities.
Screen time may provide children with the opportunity to engage in online learning and to socialize with friends; however, it may also be the result of a lack of other activities to occupy their time.
Results showed that the vast majority of parents (about 9 in 10) reported that their children engaged in screen time at home either “daily” or “almost every day” (Table 1).
While a large proportion of parents reported concerns about their children’s screen time, more parents (close to three-quarters) who have children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities reported that they were “very” or “extremely” concerned with the amount of screen time their children engaged in, compared to parents who have children with no disabilities (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Concerned about children's amount of screen time
Note: Percent calculations exclude non-responses.
Source: Statistics Canada. (2020, August 13). Crowdsourcing: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians' Parenting During the Pandemic Public Use Microdata File.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/45250006
Figure 3 - Text description
| Level of concern | Children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities (%) | Children with no disabilities (%) |
|---|---|---|
| "Not at all" or "Somewhat" | 26.8 | 38.3 |
| "Very" or "Extremely" | 73.2 | 61.7 |
Note: Percent calculations exclude non-responses.
Source: Statistics Canada. (2020, August 13). Crowdsourcing: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians' Parenting During the Pandemic Public Use Microdata File.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/45250006
Half of parents with children who have cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities reported their children engaged in physical activity daily and half reported they were very or extremely concerned about their children’s amount of physical activity.
Due to the pandemic many families have spent most of their time at home with limited to no opportunities to engage in organized sports or physical activities outside the home.
Crowdsourcing data shows fewer parents with children who have cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities reported that their children engaged in physical activity “daily” or “almost every day” versus parents with children who do not have disabilities (49% compared to 63%; Table 2).
Furthermore, about half of parents who have children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities reported they were “very” or “extremely” concerned about the amount of physical activity their children engaged in, compared to just over a third of parents who have children with no disabilities (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Concerned about children's amount of physical activity
Note: Percent calculations exclude non-responses.
Source: Statistics Canada. (2020, August 13). Crowdsourcing: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians' Parenting During the Pandemic Public Use Microdata File.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/45250006
Figure 4 - Text description
| Level of concern | Children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities (%) | Children with no disabilities (%) |
|---|---|---|
| "Not at all" | 13.6 | 24.1 | "Somewhat" | 36.0 | 40.4 |
| "Very" or "Extremely" | 50.4 | 35.5 |
Note: Percent calculations exclude non-responses.
Source: Statistics Canada. (2020, August 13). Crowdsourcing: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians' Parenting During the Pandemic Public Use Microdata File.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/45250006
More than half of the parents (59%) reported they were very or extremely concerned about their children’s school year success, although school aged children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities received more help to engage in learning activities related to school.
The province-wide or regional lockdowns that ensued early on during the pandemic resulted in significant disruptions in children’s schooling with most having to adjust to an online learning experience.
More than half of parents (58.9%) with school aged children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities reported that they were “very” or “extremely” concerned about their children’s school year and academic success, compared to 42.2% of parents with children who have no disabilities (Figure 5).
Despite this, there was minimal difference in the reported frequency with which children engaged in structured academic activities at home (Table 3) and more parents with children that have cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities stated that their children received “10 or more hours of help a week” to engage in learning activities related to school (32% compared to 23%; Table 4).
Figure 5. Concerned about children's school year and academic success
Note: Percent calculations exclude non-responses and responses from those participants who indicated they had no school aged children in the home.
Source: Statistics Canada. (2020, August 13). Crowdsourcing: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians' Parenting During the Pandemic Public Use Microdata File.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/45250006
Figure 5 - Text description
| Level of concern | Children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities (%) | Children with no disabilities (%) |
|---|---|---|
| "Not at all" | 10.7 | 17.3 | "Somewhat" | 30.4 | 40.5 |
| "Very" or "Extremely" | 58.9 | 42.2 |
Note: Percent calculations exclude non-responses.
Source: Statistics Canada. (2020, August 13). Crowdsourcing: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians' Parenting During the Pandemic Public Use Microdata File.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/45250006
More parents with children who have cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities are concerned about their family’s ability to manage compared to parents who have children with no disabilities.
The extra demands on families to balance multiple responsibilities and to meet the physical and emotional needs of their children during the pandemic period are extraordinary.
Compared to parents of children with no disabilities, more parents with children who have cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities reported that they were “very” or “extremely” concerned about their family managing children's behaviours, stress levels, anxiety, emotions (Figure 6).
Figure 6. Concerned about family managing children's, behaviours, stress levels, anxiety, emotions
Note: Percent calculations exclude non-responses and responses.
Source: Statistics Canada. (2020, August 13). Crowdsourcing: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians' Parenting During the Pandemic Public Use Microdata File.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/45250006
Figure 6 - Text description
| Level of concern | Children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities (%) | Children with no disabilities (%) |
|---|---|---|
| "Not at all" | 2.8 | 8.9 | "Somewhat" | 20.4 | 33.9 |
| "Very" or "Extremely" | 76.8 | 57.2 |
Note: Percent calculations exclude non-responses.
Source: Statistics Canada. (2020, August 13). Crowdsourcing: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians' Parenting During the Pandemic Public Use Microdata File.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/45250006
About the participants
The findings highlighted within this data blog are based on participants’ self-reports of their children’s disability status i.e., parents with children aged 0 to 14 years who have cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities versus parents with children of the same age with no disabilities. Information about the participants’ characteristics by their children’s disability status is summarized in Table 5.
What is the Public Health Agency of Canada doing to protect people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic?
The Public Health Agency of Canada has developed guidance on how to protect persons with disabilities and those that care for/support persons with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This guidance includes strategies to minimize persons with disabilities and their carers’ risk of becoming infected, information on public health measures specific
to persons with disabilities and advice on how to care for the physical and mental wellbeing of persons with disabilities and those that care for/support them during the pandemic.
Additional information on COVID-19 and people with disabilities in Canada is available.
About the data
Data are from the crowdsourcing online questionnaire Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians: Parenting during the Pandemic, 2020. This questionnaire was designed to collect information on children’s activities, child care and school, parent employment status, and parents’ concerns for their family’s overall well-being during COVID-19 pandemic. Parents of children aged 0 to 14 years living in Canada were invited to participate on a voluntary basis. Approximately 32,000 participants completed the survey from June 9 to 22, 2020.
Crowdsourcing data are not collected under a design using probability-based sampling therefore, findings based on these data are not generalizable to the overall Canadian population. However, a benchmarking factor based on demographic projections of the number of families with children aged exclusively 0 to 5 or 6 to 14 years, or a mixture of both age groups, by province/territory as of January 2020 was used for every participant to compensate for the over- or under-representation of the participants.1
Dive into the data
Table 1 - Frequency with which children engaged in screen time at home
| Frequency | Children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities (%) | Children with no disabilities (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Never | 0.3 | 2.0 |
| 1 to 2 times per week | 1.2 | 3.6 |
| 3 to 5 times per week | 4.1 | 7.2 |
| Daily or almost every day | 94.4 | 87.2 |
Note: Percent calculations exclude non-responses.
Source: Statistics Canada. (2020, August 13). Crowdsourcing: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians' Parenting During the Pandemic Public Use Microdata File.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/45250006
Table 2 - Frequency with which children engaged in physical activities at home
| Frequency | Children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities (%) | Children with no disabilities (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Never | 1.9 | 0.8 |
| 1 to 2 times per week | 18.6 | 10.7 |
| 3 to 5 times per week | 30.5 | 25.3 |
| Daily or almost every day | 49.0 | 63.2 |
Note: Percent calculations exclude non-responses.
Source: Statistics Canada. (2020, August 13). Crowdsourcing: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians' Parenting During the Pandemic Public Use Microdata File.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/45250006
Table 3 - Frequency with which children engaged in structured academic activities at home
| Frequency | Children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities (%) | Children with no disabilities (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Never | 4.9 | 4.3 |
| 1 to 2 times per week | 18.5 | 19.0 |
| 3 to 5 times per week | 44.1 | 44.7 |
| Daily or almost every day | 32.5 | 32.0 |
Note: Percent calculations exclude non-responses and responses from those participants who indicated they had no school aged children in the home.
Source: Statistics Canada. (2020, August 13). Crowdsourcing: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians' Parenting During the Pandemic Public Use Microdata File.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/45250006
Table 4 - Hours in an average week children received help to engage in learning activities related to school
| Hours | Children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities (%) | Children with no disabilities (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Did not do school activities at home | Suppressed | 1.9 |
| Less than 2 hours per week | 12.0 | 16.4 |
| 2 to less than 5 hours per week | 24.4 | 27.5 |
| 5 to less than 10 hours per week | 28.6 | 30.6 |
| 10 or more hours per week | 32.1 | 22.8 |
| My child or children are not in school yet | Suppressed | 0.9 |
Note: Percent calculations exclude non-responses and responses from those participants who indicated they had no school aged children in the home;
Some data has been suppressed to meet the confidentiality requirements of the Statistics Act.
Source: Statistics Canada. (2020, August 13). Crowdsourcing: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians' Parenting During the Pandemic Public Use Microdata File.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/45250006
Table 5 - Participant characteristics by children's disability status
| Characteristic | Group | Children with cognitive, behavioural, or emotional disabilities (%) | Children with no disabilities (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | Male | 7.6 | 10.3 |
| Female | 92.4 | 89.7 | |
| Age (years) | 15-34 | 10.7 | 20.6 |
| 35-49 | 82.4 | 75.8 | |
| 50+ | 6.9 | 3.6 | |
| Born in Canada | Yes, born in Canada | 89.8 | 85.7 |
| No, born outside of Canada | 10.2 | 14.3 | |
| Ethnicity | Visible minority | 6.6 | 11.5 |
| Not a visible minority | 93.4 | 88.5 | |
| Indigenous identity | Indigenous | 5.3 | 2.9 |
| Non-Indigenous | 94.7 | 97.1 | |
| Immigration status | Non-immigrant | 91.4 | 86.9 |
| Immigrant/non-permanent resident | 8.6 | 13.1 | |
| Highest level of education | Less than high school | 1.7 | 0.4 |
| High school | 7.1 | 4.9 | |
| Post secondary | 91.1 | 94.7 | |
| Province/ Territory of residence | Atlantic provinces | 5.6 | 5.9 |
| Quebec | 26.0 | 21.7 | |
| Ontario | 37.0 | 38.0 | |
| Manitoba | 2.8 | 4.1 | |
| Saskatchewan | 2.6 | 3.8 | |
| Alberta | 13.4 | 13.7 | |
| British Columbia | 12.2 | 12.4 | |
| Territories | 0.3 | 0.4 | |
| Rural/urban status | Rural | 9.8 | 9.8 |
| Urban | 90.2 | 90.2 |
Notes: Percent calculations exclude non-responses. Visible minority, participants who identified as South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Arab, Latin American,
Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean, Japanese, Visible minority not included elsewhere, or Multiple visible minorities. Not a visible minority, participants who identified as White,
Arab and White, West Asian and White, Latin American and White, or Indigenous. Rural, participant lives outside of Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) or Census Agglomeration (CA). Urban, participant lives in CMA/CA.
Source: Statistics Canada. (2020, August 13). Crowdsourcing: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians' Parenting During the Pandemic Public Use Microdata File.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/45250006
Acknowledgements
The Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians: Parenting during the Pandemic, 2020 is one of a series of online crowdsourcing questionnaires conducted by Statistics Canada to gather information quickly on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadians.
The Public Health Agency of Canada wishes to acknowledge Statistics Canada for providing custom tabulations for this data blog.
Reference
1. Statistics Canada. Micro data User Guide. Crowdsourcing 5: Impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians – Parenting During the Pandemic 2020. Ottawa (ON): Statistics Canada; 2020.
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