The COVID-19 pandemic has meant remote learning for most students in the L.A. area, and has forced many to stay away from friends and extended family. That lack of social engagement can be detrimental to a child’s development, so it’s important that parents know what signs to look for if those skills decline.
L.A. Parent and The Help Group are hosting a Zoom webinar from 10-11 a.m. Dec. 9 to provide insight from child development experts. The free webinar is for parents of all children. It will be moderated by L.A. Parent Editor Christina Elston.
Meet our panelists:
Dr. Jamie Barstein, a licensed clinical psychologist, specializes in the assessment and treatment of individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder. She assists with development and implementation of clinical programming through The Help Group’s Kids Like Me and the Kaleidoscope program that supports LGBTQ+ youth and young adults.
Dr. Natasha Bogopolskaya is a certified school psychologist, working for the LAUSD, primarily with pre-K through sixth grade students in low-income areas.
Susan Rudich, M.Ed, an early-childhood educator, parenting coach and social skills expert. She served as Director/Early Childhood Center at The David Preschool in Palos Verdes and is an adjunct lecturer at Chapman University.
Dr. Laurie Stephens, a developmental psychologist, has worked with children on the autism spectrum for more than 25 years. She is The Help Group’s senior director of autism programs.
“When a child’s main social network shuts down, children miss out on the social role modeling and feedback they need to develop their skills,” says Stephens. “Families may see an increase in anxiety, sullenness and acting out behaviors as their children come to terms with the reality of their socially-distant world. Families can help maintain skills by engaging in turn-taking, sharing, empathy, conversation, problem-solving, teamwork and negotiation skills.” Click here to register for the webinar.
