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Autism Spectrum and Developmental Disorders

A Sensory-Friendly COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic for Autistic Individuals: Qualitative Findings and Implications for Future Directions

(PS3-A18) A Sensory-friendly COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic for Autistic Individuals: Qualitative Findings and Implications for Future Directions

Friday, November 17, 2023
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM PST
Location: Regency Ballroom, Level 7
Individuals with special needs, particularly those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) such as autism, experience challenges in social engagement, sensory processing differences, and behavior rigidity. The implementation of supports and adaptations across settings facilitates access to services, including vaccination clinics. Autistic individuals may be at greater risk for COVID-19 infection due to sensory dysregulation that interferes with mitigation (wearing masks), and challenges in social communication that can impose difficulties in understanding and adhering to collective and individual prevention measures (social distancing, personal hygiene habits). Due to challenges inherent to IDD, and obvious disparities for persons with disabilities to receive vaccines (ability to schedule an online appointment, transportation, and find culturally competent medical providers), adaptations are needed to make vaccine opportunities more accessible to persons of all ability types. These efforts would contribute to the reduction of health disparities related to disability beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. The current project examined barriers, facilitators, and experiences of individuals with special needs in their process to receive the COVID-19 vaccine during a sensory-friendly (SF) COVID-19 vaccination clinic (VC). Housed in a local museum and open on select weekend days from Fall 2021-Summer 2022, the SFVC provided all COVID-19 vaccination doses to people in the greater Philadelphia area. The clinic was staffed by therapists with expertise working with autistic individuals and designed to offer several accommodations, including guided transition time, private vaccine station areas to reduce noise and other distractions, access to visual supports including a social story about the VC, stress-reducing activities, and snacks/water in a break area. Brief survey data (administered post-vaccine) and interviews with individuals and their caregivers were collected. Participants were 36 adults, all of whom were either an autistic individual (n = 6) or legal guardian of an autistic person (n = 30) attending the SFVC. Of the 36 respondents, 18 participated in a supplemental qualitative interview and were asked 8 open-ended questions about the most and least helpful components of the VC, suggested improvements, history of successful and unsuccessful vaccination attempts for the autistic individual. Vaccination attempts at the SFVC were successful for all participants (aged 4-28), with six reporting previous unsuccessful vaccination attempts elsewhere. Qualitative analysis yielded themes relevant to study questions. The greatest facilitators of vaccine administration included: staff clinical expertise (32% of most helpful code), sensory-friendly elements of the clinic (25%), timeline (20%) and environment (20%). Identified barriers from previous attempts were behavioral dysregulation, extreme medical fear, logistics about the vaccine experience, and pharmacy untrained to provide sensitive and adjusted patient care. The sensory-friendly vaccine clinic was successful in providing COVID-19 vaccines to individuals with IDD, improving access to this important health service.