4 - Altered Trajectories: Considering the Psychosocial Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Neuropsychological Development

The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with significant and sustained psychosocial disruption that significantly impacted children and adolescents across the globe. In this course, we will review the literature on changes in youth mental health and learning during the pandemic, focusing on the implications for development. We will specifically focus on the impact of sudden and sustained changes in the school environment, discussing how educational disruption impacted cognitive and academic skill development, as well as social and emotional development. We also will consider the effects of reduced access to interventions and services during the pandemic, especially on early identification and treatment of emerging concerns in youth already impacted by racial and economic disparities. Collectively, these factors have influenced the developmental trajectory of this generation of youth in a lasting way that needs to be considered when interpreting test scores and making diagnoses, now and in the future.