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.
Keywords: COVID-19; COVID-19 school testing; COVID-19 vaccinations; SARS-CoV-2 testing; children with IDD; intellectual and developmental disabilities.
© 2023 The Authors. Journal of School Health published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American School Health Association.