Abstract
We provided an online program to children with developmental disabilities who refrained from going out to prevent spreading COVID-19. Our study included eight intellectually normal par ticipants aged 4-10 years, diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Through the web conferencing system, psychologists conducted play activities with children with the following four goals: (1) Maintain physical and mental health, (2) Maintain social connections with other people who are not family members, (3) Communicate with them in various ways, and (4) Make good use of media. We provided the program six times for 20 minutes each time during the third and fourth weeks of April 2020. Our study results demonstrated that children with developmental disabilities enjoyed playing online, connecting with the online community, and communicating with each other. Our research also showed that Internet use enabled the maintenance of physical and mental health. However, further work in this area is required. We need to: Build a relationship of trust with children and their parents before the program starts, be familiar with operation of the system, and get parental support for infants and children who are in the early stages of participation.
