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Schools say some have delayed speech and understanding of words, or have slower social or emotional development, or they lack basic skills normally picked up through play.

She said more young children were being referred with delayed speech and language abilities as well as poor social, attention and listening skills.

"By implementing effective screening tools, we can make a big difference in giving children with delayed speech and language development the support they need," says researcher Anton Dahlberg.

"Early signs of hearing loss may include asking for repetition, hearing ringing noises often, speaking loudly to people nearby, delayed speech, or lack of reaction to loud noises," Woolford said.

The Great Falls, Virginia resident said her 6-year-old had delayed speech because he was wearing a mask during the heart of the pandemic, while her 9-year-old son has some issues with social interaction after being isolated and glued to his laptop.