Q: My daughter is a high school sophomore and having trouble dealing with students and teachers face-to-face. She says it was easier to approach people last year when she was a freshman and everything was online. She was in online group chats and club and seemed to be doing fine, but now seems at a loss.

After a year and a half of school online during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic shutdown, it is a huge transition for students to return to in-person classes, The Family Project panel agreed.

“There is a learning curve to starting high school and this is part of the fallout of having school online. There’s a certain safeness to interacting online,” said panelist JoAnne Raftas.

“For a lot of kids, this is like a second freshman year. They had their introduction to high school in a time of fear and started without any face-to-face interaction. She seems to have developed a taste for it but you don’t want to reinforce doing things online,” added panelist Mike Daniels.

Raftas suggested that she contact other students online since she’d more comfortable that way, and set up times to meet in person at school.

“She still will be texting and connecting online. That’s not being completely replaced. She will just be adding the face-to-face piece,” said panelist Chad Stefanyak.

“High school is a time to learn new skills. Struggles are part of the learning experience and you can’t keep a child from ever experiencing difficulties. This a character-building situation and she will eventually be a senior, go to college or start work,” Raftas said.

“She is experiencing a change that is natural and needs to learn to do things on her own,” agreed Daniels.

Stefanyak noted that online socialization allows students to edit comments and create a facade.

“She can’t just avoid socializing in person. She needs to put herself out there,” Stefanyak said.

“Avoidance isn’t a good skill to get better at. Everyone has experienced change and pain during this time and has worked through them,” Raftas said.

She recommended checking with a doctor and have the daughter screened for Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder.

“If the skills aren’t there, there might be something else going on,” Raftas said.

This week’s panel: Pam Wallace, program coordinator, Project Child, a program of Valley Youth House; Chad Stefanyak, school counselor; Joanne T. Raftas, registered play therapist and counselor, and Mike Daniels, LCSW, Psychotherapist.

Have a question? Email: projectchild@projectchildlv.org

The Family Project is a collaboration of the Lehigh Valley Press Focus section and Valley Youth House’s Project Child.

The Times News, Inc., and affiliates (Lehigh Valley Press) do not endorse or recommend any medical products, processes, or services or provide medical advice. The views of the columnist and column do not necessarily state or reflect those of the Lehigh Valley Press. The article content is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician, or other qualified health-care provider, with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.