Local agencies work to meet needs, developmental delays for children born shortly before and during pandemic

May 21—Xavier McMillan entered a world that soon became unrecognizable. Just a month into the Dunmore boy's life, masks covered faces and people stayed apart to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Child care centers closed, school districts operated remotely and parents attempted to juggle working from home and caring for their children.

Emerging research shows that children born shortly before or during the worst of the pandemic have more developmental delays and behavioral issues.

Three years later, parents, educators and therapists work to provide necessary resources and treatments. The Advocacy Alliance, which evaluates children for early intervention services in Lackawanna and Susquehanna counties, has seen a 35% growth in referrals compared to pre-pandemic numbers.

Through Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit's early intervention program, more than 1,000 children receive support. Referred there for a speech delay, possibly caused or worsened by the pandemic, Xavier works to find his voice.

"He's made so much progress," said his mother, Sharell McMillan. "Help and resources are available."

Increased demand

In small yellow chairs on a brightly colored rug, children sing about the alphabet.

"A is for apple, a-a-apple," could be heard in the hallway of the NEIU's center on Chestnut Street in Dunmore. "B is for ball, ba-ba-ball."

As of April 30, the NEIU has provided services for 1,071 students ages 3 to 5 living in Lackawanna or Susquehanna counties experiencing a delay in one or more area of development this school year. By June 30, the NEIU expects to serve 100 more students this year than last year, said Colleen Penzone, NEIU director of special education-early intervention program.

Children receive services at no cost to families. The state contracts with providers to serve counties or groups of counties, for birth to age 3 and then ages 3 to 5. Along with center-based learning, services may be provided in the child's home or day care.

At the Dunmore center, children attend classes twice a week, and transportation is free.

Staff in Dunmore have noticed an increase in the social and emotional challenges children face, along with greater behavioral issues, Penzone said.

"We cannot focus on colors and numbers without focusing on social and emotional needs first," she said. "If you're not comfortable, you're not going to learn."

Research ongoing

A recent Columbia University study found that babies born during the pandemic scored lower in gross motor, fine motor and social-emotional development than the babies born before the pandemic.

During the pandemic, infants and toddlers had limited social interaction and play-based learning, and many experienced high levels of stress, according to the First Five Years Fund, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that works to increase early learning opportunities for children.

Children with poor or under-developed social and emotional skills display more challenging behavior, including anger, withdrawal, anxiety and aggression. Many skills are gained and strengthened in interactions with others and in early learning settings, according to the organization.

Kristin L. Bowman, Ed.D., an early intervention services provider based in King of Prussia, and past president of the Early Intervention Provider's Association of Pennsylvania, expects ongoing research to detail how staying apart and staying home affected early childhood development.

Increased screen time during the pandemic, often when parents worked remotely and had little choice but to let their children use phones, tablets or laptops, also led to issues, she said. Care providers see more severe and frequent tantrums and children struggling to connect socially with their peers or engage in activities. Kids may also be slower to pick up on social or nonverbal cues.

"The needs are so glaring," Bowman said. "These things can make parents feel guilt, but we need to shift guilt to 'what can we do.' Early intervention is such an incredible service, and Pennsylvania has one of the best systems in the country."

Finding help

When a parent, caregiver or medical professional in Lackawanna or Susquehanna counties suspects an infant or toddler has a developmental delay, the Scranton-based Advocacy Alliance performs an evaluation.

In 2019-20, the agency conducted 771 evaluations, similar to other pre-pandemic years. This year, the agency is on track to perform 1,037 evaluations through the end of June — a 35% increase.

Leaders attribute the increase to several factors, including a greater spotlight on health — including physical, mental and behavioral — through the pandemic, and the effects of staying apart to prevent the spread of COVID.

"Infants and toddlers, like all children, were isolated during the pandemic," said Maryann Colbert, chief operating officer of the Advocacy Alliance and Friendship House. "They were not going on playdates, and childcare centers were only open for essential workers. All of that had an impact on development."

Once a child is identified as being eligible for early intervention, the Scranton Counseling Center helps coordinate services, such as vision, hearing, behavior, speech, physical therapy and more.

Providers question how the pandemic contributed to what they see now.

"A lot of kids didn't have the experiences that children pre-pandemic had," said Kerri Orzechowski, SCC early intervention program director. "Even when things started to open, parents didn't want to take their kids. They were hesitant to do things. Hopefully as people get more comfortable, they'll be comfortable to go out with their children."

Preschool issues

Preschool and childcare providers say they see a level of behaviors and acting out like never before.

"It's in every center," said Kathleen Pearage, administrator for Tri-Star Academy, which has four locations in the Midvalley. "The behaviors are increasing. ... When they should have been learning coping mechanisms and how to self regulate ... they were never taught that."

Children born during the pandemic often struggle to sit or listen to a story, said Christin Zaborney, Pre-K Counts coordinator and teacher at Northeastern Child Care Services, which has six locations in three counties.

The United Way of Lackawanna, Wayne and Pike counties began working with Penn State to develop a teacher training program for how to better deal with student behaviors pre-pandemic. With increased need at younger levels, early childhood teachers will soon have the opportunity for the training, said Gary Drapek, the organization's CEO and president.

"We all must work together," Zaborney said.

Feeling hopeful

Maverick Tuft sat across from his speech therapist at the NEIU center in Dunmore, looking at a book about colors.

Born six months before the pandemic, the 3-year-old largely stayed at home, out of stores and away from playgrounds when everything shut down.

He started to receive early intervention speech services shortly after he turned 1. When a speech therapist visited his Dickson City home, the rest of the family would wear masks, recalled his mother, Courtney Tuft.

His autism diagnosis after his second birthday would have happened with or without the pandemic, but his mother sees the experiences he missed as an infant and young toddler and questions the effect.

"Our biggest thing is advocating if you notice anything," she said. "Keep pushing for resources. Make sure you keep up with doctors. Anything that doesn't seem typical, it's better to know than to guess. Seeing how far he's come already with them makes us a lot more hopeful."

Contact the writer: shofius@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9133; @hofiushallTT on Twitter.