The impact of COVID-19 on children and young people with Special Educational Needs: a qualitative study

Research studying the impact of COVID-19 on children and young people’s mental health has largely overlooked children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). To explore the impact of the pandemic on this vulnerable group, we conducted 14 interviews, involving nine parents and five Children and Young People (CYP: aged 8–14 years) recruited from the English National Mental Health of Children and Young People (MHCYP) survey. Semi-structured interviews explored how participants adapted to the changes brought about by the pandemic, particularly in relation to accessing education and mental health support. Data were analysed thematically using the Framework Method to identify key patterns across parent and child experiences.Four themes were generated: (1) Mental health impact for CYP with SEN, (2) Caregiver strain, (3) Educational challenges and (4) Family coping strategies to manage stress. Our findings highlight the importance of developing more robust support systems for future public health emergencies, given serious disruption in the educational and mental health support systems.