COVID‐19 Related Facilitators and Barriers to In‐Person Learning for Children With Intellectual and Development Disabilities: A Follow‐Up

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and the staff who support them were largely in‐person during the 2021‐2022 school year, despite their continued vulnerability to infection with SARS‐CoV‐2. This qualitative study aimed to understand continued perceptions of weekly SARS‐CoV‐2 screening testing of students and staff amidst increased availability of vaccinations. METHODS Twenty‐three focus groups were held with school staff and parents of children with IDD to examine the perceptions of COVID‐19 during the 2021‐2022 school year. Responses were analyzed using a directed thematic content analysis approach. RESULTS Four principal themes were identified: strengths and opportunities of school‐ and district‐level mitigation policies; experience at school with the return to in‐person learning; facilitators and barriers to participation in SARS‐CoV‐2 screening testing; and perceptions of SARS‐CoV‐2 testing in light of vaccine availability. IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY Despite the increased availability of vaccines, school staff and families agreed that saliva‐based SARS‐CoV‐2 screening testing helped increase comfort with in‐person learning as long as the virus was present in the community. CONCLUSION To keep children with IDD in school during the pandemic, families found SARS‐CoV‐2 screening testing important. Clearly communicating school policies and mitigation strategies facilitated peace of mind and confidence in the school district.