35 | Lockdown, Social Skills & Communication Delays | Lenora Edwards

The lockdown may feel far behind us, but for many children, its impact is still showing up in everyday life, especially in social communication and emotional regulation. In this episode of the Autism Family Resource Podcast, Brian Keene welcomes back Lenora Edwards to talk about how the pandemic and isolation affected children's language development, social skills, and confidence in communication. Lenora shares how reduced in-person interaction, masking, and fewer natural opportunities for conversation created real developmental gaps for many children, especially those who were very young during lockdown. She explains why skills like reading facial expressions, understanding tone, problem-solving in social situations, and simply knowing what to say in everyday interactions have become harder for many kids. She also offers practical, encouraging strategies parents can start using right away, including modeling, creating safe opportunities for communication, and helping children build confidence through practice. This episode is especially helpful for parents, caregivers, educators, and therapists who want to better understand what was lost during lockdown and how to gently rebuild those social and communication skills moving forward. Topics Covered How lockdown affected language development in young children Why masks and isolation changed social learning The impact on tone, body language, and facial expression reading Why some children now feel stuck in social situations How texting and screens can reduce real-life communication practice Why modeling communication matters so much Practical ways parents can create safe social opportunities When to trust your instincts and seek professional support Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and episode overview 01:56 What families can expect to learn from this conversation 04:10 How lockdown changed language exposure and development 10:14 Why children may not know what to say socially 17:51 Practical strategies parents can use at home 22:06 When to seek help and trust your instincts Memorable Quote "It's our responsibility as the community, as people of this world, to help them communicate." About the Guest Lenora Edwards is a TEDx speaker and Chief Knowledge Officer with Better Speech. She is a speech-language pathologist with extensive experience supporting children and adults with communication needs across a wide range of settings, including hospitals, schools, outpatient clinics, and online therapy. Resources Mentioned Better Speech BetterSpeech.com Speech therapy for social communication Online speech therapy consultations About the Host Brian Keene is the host of the Autism Family Resource Podcast and the founder of Pure Hearts Therapy, a neurodiversity-affirming pediatric therapy practice that supports children and families through compassionate, practical care. Subscribe & Connect If this episode resonated with you, please consider sharing it with another parent who might benefit from this conversation. Listen and subscribe to the Autism Family Resource Podcast: https://pod.link/1591840956 Explore more resources for families at: https://pureheartstherapy.com