Teaching kids with special needs is not just a vocation. It is a specialized skill, and for some, even a calling. After COVID-19 shuttered schools last year, parents of kids with special needs found themselves, overnight, forced to assume the role of special educator, all while parenting, quarantining and, in some cases, simultaneously performing other jobs. Parents faced this learning …

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, child development specialist Dr. Mary L. O’Connor Leppert has noticed a significant drop in referrals to the Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program, the state’s early intervention program. Referrals have also declined at Kennedy Krieger Institute, where clinicians diagnose and treat pediatric developmental, behavioral and mental health disorders. The drop appeared to be quite …

Even if, like my husband, you are a staunch contrarian who scoffs at the act of setting new year’s resolutions, the symbolic act of kicking 2021 to the curb will probably tempt former skeptics this January. Many of us may have slid into new habits shaped in response to our pandemic lifestyles. While some of these habits have been healthy, …

The 2020-2021 school year will be long remembered — without nostalgia. Whether your child’s school was held online or followed a hybrid schedule, education was tough for parents, students and teachers alike. Early childhood educators were asked to teach kids they’d never met in person. Kindergarten teachers had to capture and hold the attention of an age group with notoriously …

In the February issue of Frederick’s Child, we described how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting child development referrals to the Maryland Infants and Toddlers program. How do you know whether your child is developing as he or she should. The following guide offers child developmental milestones for what to look for with developmental behavior, language, motor and social skills. Behavior …

People with autism spectrum disorder, as defined by the National Institute of Mental Health, can have “difficulty with social communication and interaction, restricted interests and repetitive behaviors.” While repetitive, self-stimulatory behavior, or “stimming,” is a common trait in people with autism, it’s not commonly accepted. Often, parents, therapists and educators view stimming, such as flapping the hands or rocking, as …