Introduction: The effect of social distancing and closure of treatment facilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic has been disruptive for children with disabilities and their families.
Aim: The current study aims to enable research data by synthesizing the impact of COVID-19 measures on children with developmental disabilities applied in Bulgaria, Sweden, and Germany.
Materials and Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted following PRISMA protocols. Databases searched included Google Scholar and PubMed for papers published December 2019–November 2020 using four keyword categories. We reviewed 1691 abstracts, 35 of which met our inclusion criteria for a full review. After reviewing the full texts of the articles and applying the study exclusion criteria, four articles were included in the current analysis.
Results: Two studies reported results from Bulgaria; while the other two discussed the impact comparing Sweden and Germany to other Western European countries. All studies discussed the highly inadequate governmental decisions and policy-making during the initial wave in all three countries. No government took any decision specifically aiming at mitigating the risk and its impact on children with disabilities and their families.
Conclusion: Although some good practice examples have emerged across Europe, additional efforts will be needed to ensure that health crisis responses are disability-inclusive. Mindful leadership at policy and program levels could guarantee the success of such efforts in the future.
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