Credit: Duke University School of Nursing

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted all of our lives in 2020, but it's been particularly challenging for families with individuals who have developmental disorders.

Dr. Lauren Franz, assistant professor of psychiatry and global health at Duke, and a faculty member at the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, says families with children with —especially those in low-income settings around the globe—have faced greater struggles.

"Even before the pandemic struck, children impacted by disparities were often among the most marginalized in society, facing increased risk of discrimination in addition to limited access to existing services and supports," Franz says.

Credit: Duke University School of Nursing