Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D. Bishop | Archdiocese of Louisville

Two key educators associated with Head Start of Miami-Dade County in Southern Florida and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami express concern over an increase in youngsters with developmental disabilities and special needs.

While the exact causes remain speculative, excessive screen time among young children and the lingering impact of coronavirus-related lockdowns are considered likely factors contributing to this trend.

Maria Riestra-Quintero, president of the Florida Head Start Association, spoke at an August 9 conference in Miami about her concerns. "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," she said. She noted that 90% of brain development occurs within the first five years of life, and electronic devices do not provide a feedback loop necessary for developing receptive and expressive language.

Riestra-Quintero refers to guidelines from the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry on managing children's screen time according to age. These guidelines recommend limited screen use for children under 18 months, educational programming for those between 18 and 24 months, and restricted noneducational screen time for children aged 2-5.

On average, U.S. children aged 8-12 spend four to six hours a day using screens, while teens spend up to nine hours. The academy warns that excessive screen use can lead to various issues including sleep problems, poor academic performance, reduced social interaction, obesity, mood disorders, and poor self-esteem.

Riestra-Quintero advises no tablet or screen time for children under age two and well-monitored limited use as they grow older.

Evelyn Molina, a regional director for Head Start programming with Miami Catholic Charities who was honored as Head Start director of the year for Miami-Dade County, highlighted that approximately 10% 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 behavior issues," Molina said.

Molina added that these conditions require additional teacher training on handling special needs students. She also noted that some toddlers who stayed home during the pandemic now face challenges adapting to in-person routines.

The relationship between education and cellphone usage is also scrutinized as more public school districts consider smartphone bans. In 2023, Florida became the first state requiring its public schools to ban phones in class. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has called for similar legislation due to smartphones' addictive nature. Several other states are contemplating similar measures this year.

One of the largest school districts in the nation, Los Angeles Unified School District, voted on June 18 to ban cellphones during school hours.