Educators see uptick in special needs, developmental disabilities

By Tom Tracy - Florida Catholic

MIAMI | Two key educators associated with Head Start of Miami-Dade County in South Florida and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami are concerned about an increase in children with specific developmental disabilities and special needs.

While the exact causes remain a matter of speculation, it is thought that excessive screen time on electronic devices among the very young, and possibly the lingering impact of the coronavirus-related lockdowns of 2020 and reduced in-person socialization, are likely key factors driving the trend.

“We have seen an increase recently in children with all sorts of developmental delays — mainly in speech and language, and we think it has to do with use of tablets in the early years,” said Maria Riestra-Quintero, president of the Florida Head Start Association and Miami-Dade Head Start and director of the Early Head Start program, who spoke at the annual conference and awards luncheon for Head Start of Miami-Dade County Aug. 9, 2024.

Riestra-Quintero added that “ninety percent of the brain develops in the first five years of life, and with a (electronic device) tablet, a child doesn't have a feedback loop.”

“If we are having a conversation I am asking you questions, you are responding to me then that is what we call a feedback loop and that develops receptive and expressive language,” she said.

Riestra-Quintero refers to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) screen time guidelines, which has detailed recommendations for managing a child’s screen time based on age. 

Screen time includes interaction with smartphones, tablets, game consoles, televisions, and computers.

The Academy recommends:

• Until 18 months, limit screen time to video chatting along with an adult (such as a parent who is out of town).
• Between 18 and 24 months, limit screen time to watching educational programming with a caregiver.
• For children ages 2-5, limit non-educational screen time to about 1 hour per weekday and 3 hours on the weekend days.

On average, children ages 8-12 in the United States spend 4-6 hours per day watching or using screens, and teens spend up to 9 hours. While screens can entertain, teach, and keep children occupied, too much use may lead to problems, according to AACAP. The consequences of overuse can include sleep problems, poor academic performance, poor reading habits, less social time, less outdoor and physical activity, obesity, mood problems, and poor self-esteem and body image.

“If you use a tablet there is receptive language but not expressive language, so you cannot express yourself,” Riestra-Quintero said. “You are listening, you are taking in, but when it's time to express your feelings, your emotions and to be able to communicate we are seeing that many students are coming in with a greater gap since covid,” she said.

Riestra-Quintero recommends no tablets or screen time for children under the age of two, and well-monitored, limited screen time use as they get older.

Evelyn Molina, a Miami Catholic Charities regional director for Head Start program who was honored this year as the Head Start Director of the Year for Miami-Dade County, told the Florida Catholic that about 10 percent of Head Start student slots are reserved for those with special needs.

“This past year what is new — and we will be seeing it again this year— is that we have a lot of children coming out of the pandemic with conduct disorders, speech delays, need for occupational therapy and a lot of children with autism and behavioral issues,” Molina said. “That has added another level of training that we have to provide to teachers on how to deal with these special needs,” she added.

“Some were probably toddlers staying at home often alone during the pandemic and with no other children to socialize with, now needing to adapt to (in person) routines.

“We observe our students for 30 to 45 days, and beyond that, if we see an identifiable need, we collaborate with outside agencies who come into the program to provide services on site. That requires (community) partnerships.”

In addition, education and cell phones are generally at odds, according to a Pew Research Center analysis released as more and more public school districts weigh smartphone bans.

Some three states have recently passed laws banning or restricting the use of cell phones in schools, including Florida, which was reportedly the first to do so in 2023. One of the nation's largest school districts, the Los Angeles Unified School District, voted last June to ban the use of cell phones and social media platforms during the school day. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul recently called for legislation to ban smartphones in schools, mentioning their addictive nature.

FIND OUT MORE

For more information on developing a healthy use of technology, see the following resources:

• www.commonsensemedia.org/
• www.connectsafely.org/
• www.cyberwise.org/
• cyberbullying.org