Masks and Child Language Development
Masks and Child Language Development
Are you concerned about your child language’s development in the time of COVID? Many parents and providers fear masks may interfere with children’s development, including speech, language and social interactions.
Well, according to the article, “Do Masks Impede Children’s Development?” in the New York Times, we can all take a deep breath (and exhale into our masks). Here's some positive news!
“Kids are very, very adaptive, more adaptive than we are — they learn very quickly,” so parents shouldn't be too concerned!
Some experts believe that "children may end up “more sensitive to tones, more sensitive to someone’s overall body language.”
Caregivers can encourage creative communication while their child is expressing themselves in a mask. For example, caregivers can “make a game of helping children to find ways of communicating with their hands and bodies.”
If your child has autism or a social communication disorder, take this opportunity to teach them to explicitly state their feelings, and to pay attention to nonverbal messages from others!
