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Family quality of life (FQoL) outcomes collected during the first year of COVID‐19 has been combined with 2018 data to estimate the outbreak's impact on parental outcomes on a sample of 230 families with syndromic autistic children and those with intellectual disabilities (IDs). Despite challenges imposed by the COVID‐19 outbreak, our study found that FQoL outcomes reported by participating parents during the first year of COVID‐19 appears to be similar to ratings from a prepandemic study of families with the same conditions. Parents of children in our sample generally displayed a stable functioning trajectory as measured by the validated FQoL instrument. Across syndromic autistic groups considered, families reported that their relationships with their children were positive. Our findings provide evidence of families' resilience which might explain the presence of positive parent–child interactions during COVID‐19. Exploring mechanisms which would explain how families with autistic and ID children confront, manage disruptive experiences, and buffer COVID‐19 induced stress is a fruitful direction for future research. Lay Summary: Despite challenges imposed by the COVID‐19 outbreak, our study found that the quality of life reported by participating families during the first year of COVID‐19 appears to be similar to ratings from a prepandemic study of families with the same conditions. The COVID‐19 pandemic and related lockdowns were found to be positively associated with parent–child bonding, relational satisfaction, and increased emotional connection between parents and their children. Our findings provide evidence of families' resilience which might explain the presence of positive parental–child interactions during COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family quality of life (FQoL) outcomes collected during the first year of COVID-19 has been combined with 2018 data to estimate the outbreak's impact on parental outcomes on a sample of 230 families with syndromic autistic children and those with intellectual disabilities (IDs). Despite challenges imposed by the COVID-19 outbreak, our study found that FQoL outcomes reported by participating parents during the first year of COVID-19 appears to be similar to ratings from a prepandemic study of families with the same conditions. Parents of children in our sample generally displayed a stable functioning trajectory as measured by the validated FQoL instrument. Across syndromic autistic groups considered, families reported that their relationships with their children were positive. Our findings provide evidence of families' resilience which might explain the presence of positive parent-child interactions during COVID-19. Exploring mechanisms which would explain how families with autistic and ID children confront, manage disruptive experiences, and buffer COVID-19 induced stress is a fruitful direction for future research., (© 2022 The Authors. Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals LLC.)