LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Many school districts across the state kicked off this week with virtual learning.
A Louisville-based nonprofit says the back and forth from in-person to NTI learning is creating emotional and behavioral challenges in school children.
Division Director for School-Based Services with Seven Counties Services Courtney Potts said when schools transition to remote learning, so do their therapy-based services.
"You know, getting with our families to try and figure out when is the best time to do therapy," Potts said. "And you know, as I've seen earlier, some of those families are just fatigued and you know, at the end of the day after school and after work, you know, they just may not have time to do a virtual appointment with us and even though it's needed, and they know it would be helpful. I think everyone is just exhausted."
The nonprofit organization, Seven Counties Services offers a supplemental after-school program with resources to help with homework and more to help fill the gaps. And, every afternoon, Heaven Sublett sits with students to go over school assignments.
"So we just make sure they stay on top of their assignments and if they're confused, we just try to teach them to try to be teachers even though we're not teachers," Sublett said.
She tutors school children with Seven Counties Services.
"A lot of times some of the kids don't have access to their NTI at home just because they don't have Wi-Fi or just because their parents are at work and then when they're at home, of course, they're not going to just get on their own," Sublett said.
She sees the oscillating challenges stemming from going back and forth from in-person or remote learning.
"I will feel like a little more hyper, then probably because of the free will that they have to not be sitting in a classroom," Sublett said. "So it's really hard for them to kind of focus just because they don't have like the structure that school automatically gives you."
Unit manager Laurie Qualah said often many kids are struggling with anxiety, which creates a barrier to absorb information.
"Our kids here when they get anxious, they tend to sit down and so they have trouble doing the work, Qualah said. "They're not real, independent, and doing the work and so they need somebody to kind of sit with them and make sure they're in the classroom and make sure they understand the tasks and that they can accomplish the tasks."
This makes Sublett's and her team’s work all the more crucial.
"That's why we try to get them to come every single day during the week Monday through Thursday because when they do NTI at home or they go to school, and then we switch over to NTI it's just harder for them to focus and to stay on top of their assignments because things get lost in the system," Sublett said.
Potts says the counselors are seeing an increase in children developing differences in sleeping patterns, weight gain, anxiety, depression, and other emotional challenges.