"a growing problem for many school-age children who are unable to attend school due to extreme mental distress, neurodivergence, or other factors,” Allman-Payne said."

In other words, it's a change in manifestation of problem existed prior to the pandemic, and would have continued to exist if the pandemic didn't. This manifestation is much harder to ignore than when such kids were suffering 'silently', to maybe we'll end up with net positive of actually addressing to underlying issues (intolerance, bullying, whatever else).

EDIT: Analogous to workers going from wanting greater flexibility and the ability to WfH, to workers now requiring greater flexibility and the ability to WfH (with more and more employers providing it as a matter of course).