COVID-19 Lockdowns Damaged Speech, Mental Development of Children, Teachers Say

Children are seen in a preschool classroom at Dawes Elementary School in Chicago, Ill., on Jan. 11, 2021. Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP

COVID-19 restrictions have damaged children developmentally in ways that might be irreparable, teachers say.

From early childhood through high school, children rely on facial expressions, social interaction, conversation with new people, and friendships to develop mentally.