The COVID 19 pandemic caused widespread disruptions across the world that led to financial strains, social isolation, and decreased support for many. These disruptions in turn led to increased stress in parents and caregivers and a mental health crisis among adults and children. Since the beginning of the pandemic, many parents and experts have raised concerns that the pandemic and all of its terrible side effects would also impact the development of children.And very slowly, a body of research is coming out that can address these concerns. So what is the research telling us? Did the pandemic cause subtle changes in development that children will eventually compensate? Or did it cause serious developmental delays that may ultimately result in more children meeting criteria for developmental disabilities, meaning conditions that emerge in childhood may result in lifelong impairments and functioning?Let's discuss.------Sign up for the Parenting Translator Substack, and follow along on Instagram.Parenting Translator is hosted by Dr. Cara Goodwin and is produced by Earfluence.Dr. Cara Goodwin, PhD, is a child psychologist and mother to three children who "translates" research on parenting and child development into information that is accurate, relevant, and useful to parents.