Work-life and Health Experiences of Computer Science Faculty Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities during COVID-19

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, parents of children with developmental disabilities (PCDD) had been shown to experience more stress than parents of children without developmental disabilities (non-PCDD). COVID-19 may have exacerbated difficulties for PCDD. To compare differences in COVID-19 experiences between PCDD and non-PCDD, 202 parents working as computer science (CS) faculty reported their experiences of mental health symptoms, physical health symptoms, work-life conflict levels as experienced during the pandemic, and any changes in their childcare responsibilities because of COVID-19. Participants completed surveys on their experiences during Fall 2020 and Spring 2021, the first academic year after the start of COVID-19. Results showed that CS faculty PCDD experienced more mental health symptoms and higher levels of work-life conflict than did non-PCDD, which may have implications in the care that PCDD are able to provide to their children