Narzisi, Antonio

COVID-19 has become pandemic [[1]] and many government decrees have declared restrictive measures in order to prevent its wider spread. In this situation the handling of young children with special needs such as autism spectrum condition (ASC) could be challenging for families and caregivers. Shared Video Game and/or Internet Sessions with Parents Video games and the internet are extremely attractive for children with ASC but they could become an absorbent interest [[12]], especially in this period when children are called to stay at home.

Background: When COVID-19 was declared as a pandemic, many countries imposed severe lockdowns that changed families' routines and negatively impacted on parents' and children's mental health. Several studies on families with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) revealed that lockdown increased the difficulties faced by individuals with ASD, as well as parental distress. No studies have analyzed the interplay between parental distress, children's emotional responses, and adaptive behaviors in children with ASD considering the period of the mandatory lockdown.