As mentioned in a previous blog post, there are a variety of different disability categories, or ways that a child may qualify for Special Education services. Since it is Mental Health Awareness month, I would like to take a closer look at the disability category most closely related to Mental Health needs- the Emotional Disability. The Emotional Disability has been one of the more controversial disability codes within the Special Education system, and is often one of the more complicated disabilities for parents and staff.
In 1983, April was declared Child Abuse Prevention Month. Initially I thought this would be a pretty depressing blog post. Especially for those who work in schools- we are well aware of child abuse. Abuse statistics (679,000 children across the nation were victims of abuse in 2013) and signs to watch for are hammered in our heads. We know what to do when we suspect abuse, but often feel frustrated that we couldn’t or can’t stop it from happening. To me, the upside is that April is about Preventing child abuse, not being aware of it. There are many factors that can potentially lead to child abuse and, therefore, many steps a community can take to help decrease child abuse (a 3.8% national decrease was reported between 2009 and 2013). Prevention is about making sure families have the supports they need financially, socially, physically, and educationally to avoid engaging in patterns of abuse. Prevention also starts in our own homes as we all work to develop and model strong, healthy relationships among our own family members. Prevent Child Abuse America offers the following ten tips: Ten Ways to Help Prevent Child Abuse · Be a nurturing parent. Children need to know that they are special, loved and capable of following their dreams. · Help a friend, neighbor or relative. Being a parent isn’t easy. Offer a helping hand take care of the children, so the parent(s) can rest or spend time together. · Help yourself. When the big and little problems of your everyday life pile up to the point you feel overwhelmed and out of control – take time out. Don’t take it out on your kid. · If your baby cries… It can be frustrating to hear your baby cry. Learn what to do if your baby won’t stop crying. Never shake a baby – shaking a child may result in severe injury or death. · Get involved. Ask your community leaders, clergy, library and schools to develop services to meet the needs of healthy children and families. · Help to develop parenting resources at your local library. Find out whether your local library has parenting resources, and if it does not, offer to help obtain some. · Promote programs in school. Teaching children, parents and teachers prevention strategies can help to keep children safe. · Monitor your child’s television, video, and internet viewing/usage. Watching violent films, TV programs, and videos can harm young children. · Volunteer at a local child abuse prevention program. For information about volunteer opportunities, call 1.800.CHILDREN. · Report suspected abuse or neglect. If you have reason to believe a child has been or may be harmed, call your local department of children and family services or your local police department. Washington County Public Schools employs a variety of support staff who can provide assistance to families who are in need. Pupil Personnel Workers are knowledgeable in community resources available to families. There are staff members who specialize in supporting families who are homeless. School Psychologists assist in parent education programs offered through the county’s birth to age five program. The Family Support Resource Center offers educational programs for families with children who have disabilities; frequently programs offer suggestions for handling behavior problems. Many elementary schools have partnered with local community or church groups to offer “Micah’s backpack” so families who may not have enough food can receive extra supplies each Friday. If you or someone you know could benefit from these supports, please speak to your school to gain assistance. Resources: Child Welfare Information Gateway- https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/preventionmonth/about/ Prevent Child Abuse America www.preventchildabuse.org American Humane Association www.americanhumane.org Family Support Resource Center Newsletter http://www.wcps.k12.md.us/depts_programs/special_education/documents/family_support_center/newsletter_winter_14-15.pdf Autism Spectrum Disorders
Research indicates that up to one in every 60 children may be impacted by an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism is four times more prevalent in males than females. At this time, there is no clear cause of Autism that has been identified; Autism does have genetic links and risk factors such as parental age, or birth weight may contribute to the risk of developing Autism. Previous research which identified early childhood immunizations as a cause of Autism has been discredited. Recently, the American Psychiatric Association redefined Autism Spectrum Disorders in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Previously, the Autism Spectrum was conceived as an umbrella, which included diagnoses such as Autism, Asperger’s Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), NOS, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Rhett’s. There was, and continues to be, concern that people with diagnoses such as Asperger’s or PDD would no longer have diagnoses, since the name was no longer being used. In fact, the majority of people who previously met diagnostic criteria for these disorders will and do meet the current diagnostic criteria for an Autism Spectrum Disorder. The current definition of an Autism Spectrum Disorder is as follows: 1) Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts- someone with Autism has difficulty in interacting with others through verbal and/or nonverbal means, including eye contact and understanding facial expressions. Someone with Autism has difficulties in developing and maintaining relationships, and adjusting to and understanding different social situations. Across multiple contexts means that these behaviors occur in many settings, not just at home or just at school, for example. 2) Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities- Someone with autism must experience two examples of this trait. Behaviors would include, repetitive motor movements (hand flapping), repeating speech or sounds, lining up objects, inflexible routines, abnormal preoccupations with interests, and unusual sensory experiences. · Symptoms must be present in early childhood, but can change over time · Symptoms cause significant impairment It is also important to remember that every child is unique, and to some degree, behaviors such as social awkwardness or interests in specific topics or hobbies are normal. To have an Autism Spectrum Disorder, an individual must have significant difficulty functioning because of these traits (and Autism must be the most accurate diagnosis rather than for example, a language disorder or anxiety). If you have concerns that your child may have Autism Spectrum Disorder, please discuss this with your doctor. Diagnoses are able to be made at early ages and early intervention services can have a great impact on a child’s ability to manage their needs and behaviors in the future. *Impact on School Functioning* Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders struggle with many skills that come naturally to the majority of people. These struggles impair their ability to function within a school setting. Skills impacted include: Theory of Mind Theory of Mind refers to one’s ability to take the perspective of another person. It relates to understanding that people can have different experiences and knowledge. In a nutshell, someone who struggles with Theory of Mind is unable to interpret the thoughts, emotional states, and intentions of other people. They assume that all people share their awareness of information, which greatly impacts their interpretation of day to day events. Behavior Regulation Many children with Autism Spectrum Disorders experience difficulty in managing their emotions and behavioral responses. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders can become easily frustrated, and frequently lack age appropriate skills of managing their frustration. This can lead to emotional meltdowns. Social Skills An inherent part of being diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder is a significant delay in the area of Social Skills. Students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder will struggle with picking up social cues and norms. They will likely have difficulties understanding figurative language, sarcasm, and humor. Because of these difficulties, children with ASD frequently struggle in developing peer relationships, may appear disrespectful to adults, and react to social situations in unique ways. Rigidity/Adherence to Routines Students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder thrive on routines. They are likely to experience difficulty and uncertainty if their routines are changed. Sensitivity to Environmental Stimuli Students with Autism frequently perceive their environment differently than typically functioning peers. For example, they may be distracted by lighting, overwhelmed by noises, or upset by the texture of their food. These sensitivities can make settings such as the cafeteria, gymnasium, or large classroom extremely stressful. Mental Health Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders frequently have other mental health diagnoses as well. Attention difficulties are frequently seen. As students grow older, they are at an increased risk of developing depression. *How Can Schools Help?* Be Understanding Keep in mind that the child with an ASD has a legitimate medical condition. They struggle at interpreting and participating in our social world and at times have difficulty regulating their own emotional responses. While a child’s actions may appear to be manipulative, they do not always have age appropriate control over their emotional responses or behavior. Parent Communication Develop an open line of communication with the student’s parents. No one knows a child better than their parents, therefore, a child’s parent is an incredible source of information regarding what is typical for their child and strategies that are effective. Consistency Develop a consistent routine/schedule for the child to follow. If the schedule needs to be changed, let the child know in advance. It may be helpful to provide them with a written or picture schedule. Functional Behavior Assessment/Positive Behavior Support Plan School Counselors, Psychologists, Teachers, and other involved staff can work as a team to develop an FBA and PBSP. These tools can help to identify factors influencing inappropriate behaviors and work towards reducing or eliminating their occurrence through the use of environmental and procedural supports. Social Skills Training Social Skills Training can be provided by School Psychologists or Counselors; however, the majority of a student’s learning about social situations comes from day to day interactions with peers and adults. Especially within the regular elementary classroom, the use of teachable moments to develop appropriate social behaviors can have a great impact on a child. About two weeks ago, a couple of teachers approached me and asked if I was familiar with Executive Functioning. They had recently read some articles on the topic and were interested in developing strategies to use in the classroom to improve children’s executive functioning skills…
So What Is Executive Functioning????? The idea of Executive Functioning has been around for decades, but as of late, this theory has been catching steam within the education setting. Basically, executive functioning is like an orchestra conductor in your brain that helps you recognize goals and coordinate your actions to make the goals a reality. There are many individual skills that make up your Executive Functioning and assist you in reaching goals. These skills include the ability to pay attention to important information, the ability to regulate your emotions, the ability to handle changes with flexibility, to inhibit or control your behavior, initiate or start tasks, organize thoughts and materials, plan tasks and materials, self-monitor, and use brief memory skills. Some Executive Functioning skills can be related to various disorders, such as Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) or an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Students (and adults) with AD/HD, for example typically struggle with maintaining attention, inhibiting impulsive behaviors, initiating tasks, organization, and planning. Individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder may have difficulties with attention (as other environmental stimuli may be extremely distracting), emotion regulation, flexibility, inhibiting behaviors, initiating behaviors, and self-monitoring. Students and adults who have experienced a Traumatic Brain Injury also frequently struggle in these areas. While people with these diagnoses usually have Executive Functioning difficulties, certainly all children or adults can have Executive Functioning areas of need. This has prompted an increased interest in the school setting in supporting and developing these mental processes. As the teachers who recently approached me had realized, children who struggle with skills related to organization, planning, self-monitoring, and regulation are also going to struggle academically. It is important to keep in mind a child’s age when looking at executive strengths and needs. The development of Executive Functioning skills typically begins to increase dramatically during preschool years and continue through adulthood, but as parents and educators we can provide supports to help a child strengthen their executive functioning skills. Within the school and home settings, there are various strategies that can be used to help children (or grown-ups) develop executive functioning skills. Whole books have been written about Executive Functioning, but here are some quick thoughts about supporting Executive Functioning at home and school: Emotion Regulation- The first step to emotion regulation is to recognize emotions. For young children, this starts in simply recognizing facial expressions of others and learning what “sad” or “angry” or “afraid” feels like. You can play games with children where they have to guess what emotion you are showing them or they can show you an emotion you tell them. Once students understand what emotions are, helping them to understand what their emotions feel like before they become unmanageable is an important next step. Often I will talk to children about what happens to their body. Students may say they clench their fists or jaws, their face gets red, their stomach hurts, their ears get hot, etc. Once they can recognize these feelings we can work on regulating them by coming up with a plan to calm down before their emotions get out of control. For some this is getting a drink, taking a walk, having an adult to process their feelings with, stretching or doing some wall pushups, or just sitting in a quiet space for a few minutes. Different strategies work for different people and a big part of learning to regulate is figuring out which strategy is the best for you and your child. Flexibility- One important strategy in teaching flexibility is to model what flexibility looks like for children. Adults can verbalize to children when they are experiencing a situation requiring them to be flexible and how they are handling that situation. For example, if a dinner plan was spaghetti, but when it is time to cook, there is no pasta in the pantry, a parent can talk to the child about how they will come up with a different plan, even though they really wanted to cook spaghetti. Teaching how to compromise is another important part of helping a child be flexible. Particularly as children learn how to navigate social relationships with friends and siblings, the need to compromise will occur more frequently. It is important for children to understand that in a compromise, the same person does not always get what they wanted and the goal is for both people to be happy with the solution. Organization- Within the school setting, children are taught organization by being encouraged to use strategies such as different colored folders for different subjects and using a planner. At home children may have different containers for different toys, different drawers for pajamas and socks, and specific places to keep shoes. Some children require specific instructions in being organized and some children benefit from having a scheduled time to organize their binder, clean their desk, or clean their bedroom. As children are learning these skills, it is helpful for an adult to help children sort where each kind of material belongs. You can also help children learn organization skills in early childhood by spending time sorting toys by size or color, having them help clean up with adult support, and spending time helping them organize and clean their own bedrooms. Planning- Within the classroom setting, one of the most common planning supports I see is the use of a graphic organizer for writing assignments. Depending on the assignment (and the student), graphic organizers can look very different, but the general idea is that it helps a child outline the information that they need to include in a written assignment. Graphic organizers help a child to identify what questions their assignments must answer and helps them to plan where in their writing assignment information belongs. A student’s planning skills can also be developed by taking time to work with them in regards to goal setting for deadlines. Parents and teachers can talk to children about when assignments are due and what is required for that assignment. Once this is determined, they can help a child set reasonable timelines of what they should complete along the way, rather than waiting until the night before a large project is due. Teachers often do this by setting different deadlines for portions of large assignments. For example, a middle or high school student may have a project that will take a month to complete. Their teacher may give a deadline for when the topic of their project is due, their resources are due, a rough draft is due, and the final version of the project is due. For younger students, an important part of learning how to plan is simply having an understanding of how long something will take. Make a game out of guessing how long it will take to clean a room, drive to the store, for all students to clear their desks, or make dessert. As children understand timing they will better be able to plan their own activities. Self-Monitoring- Sometimes a child (or adult for that matter!) may start a task and then move on before it is finished. Strategies such as using a checklist can be helpful to monitor progress on tasks. As children advance to following directions that have more than one step, using a checklist can help them self-monitor. Many children struggle with cleaning their bedroom (I was no exception there!). A checklist can help to break a daunting task down to smaller steps so a child can self-monitor their progress. For example, a checklist may say 1) Make Bed, 2) Pick up and put away toys 3) Put clothing away 4) Check under bed 4) Vacuum floor. Having a system for a child to self-monitor should encourage them to complete a task rather than believing they are finished when they are not. In a school setting, the use of Rubrics with specific expectations help a child understand expectations and monitor their progress towards meeting them. Editing checksheets can also help with monitoring written assignments. One of my favorite editing mnemonics to teach children is COPS, which stands for Capitals, Organization, Punctuation, Spelling, and serves as a reminder for children to monitor those elements in their writing. Students who have difficulty self-monitoring their behavior can be taught to do so with a behavior chart. Children can be given specific goals, such as I will stay in my seat, or I will raise my hand before speaking. At the end of a class they can rate their behaviors and compare ratings with their teachers. Working Memory- One of my favorite childhood games was “Memory” with the dozens of picture cards that you had to match. This is a great game to help build up memory skills in children. For children who have difficulties with memory, teaching them to make to-do lists, or take notes can be very helpful. Until a student has developed those skills, the use of note outlines in the class can help to support difficulties with working memory. While we all have Executive Functioning needs, we also have strengths. It is important to help children build on and celebrate their Executive Functioning strengths in addition to developing skills of need. Some people are naturally great planners, incredibly organized, or super flexible. These talents can help to compensate for other Executive Functioning needs. Check out these Resources for additional strategies to support Executive Functioning: Harvard University Center on the Developing Child- Enhancing and Practicing Executive Function Skills With Children This website has a pdf download that has great suggestions for age appropriate fun activities to help your children develop executive functioning skills. Activities are categorized by age, starting with activities for preschool aged children. (accessed 3/2/2015) http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/tools_and_guides/enhancing_and_practicing_executive_function_skills_with_children/ Unstuck & On Target! Written by Lynn Cannon, Lauren Kenworthy, Katie C. Alexander, Monica Adler Werner, and Laura Anthony. Published 2011 by Brookside Publishing. Unstuck & On Target is an Executive Functioning program developed by a team of specialists. This program offers strategies and structured lesson plans related to Flexibility, Emotion Regulation, and Goal Planning. Smart But Scattered-The Revolutionary Executive Skills Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare Published 2009 by Guilford Publishing. Smart But Scattered features information about Executive Functioning, how to determine the executive function difficulties that you and your child may have and provides strategies to improve skills in those areas. These authors have also written several other books on the topic which may be of benefit to teachers and parents. “Why was the math book sad? ….. Because it had so many problems...” A math teacher that I once knew had a sign by his desk that said “Practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.” Many, many students struggle to learn their math facts fluently. And as we all know, being able to quickly add, subtract, multiply and divide is an important stepping stone to success in more advanced math concepts as well as in the real world. I’ll be the first to admit that I rely on a calculator more than I should (that’s definitely mistake free math, right?), but I also believe that it is important for students to develop math fact fluency. Many children, parents, and teachers spend countless hours practicing math facts- but rather than practice perfect math, students are often rehearsing their own incorrect math fact beliefs. For example, if when practicing with flash cards a child consistently thinks to themselves 7x8=65, they are actually practicing the incorrect answer. I would like to suggest trying “Errorless Learning” to help students practice their math facts perfectly. The idea behind the errorless learning strategy is to set students up for success by helping them practice the correct answers to their math facts. This can be practiced by writing the math facts with their answers across the top of a standard math fact fluency quiz paper. Your child’s goal will still be to complete the math facts as quickly as he can, but your child will have the correct answers to refer to. For example, since your child can look at the correct answer, instead of drilling 7x8=65 he will practice that 7x8=56. This not only decreases frustration for a child who is struggling, but helps your child to repeatedly recite to themselves the correct answers to the math fact. With perfect practice, your child can become fluent with his math facts. As the holiday season continues, I wanted to share about a group of students in our county that warms my heart. One of the county Middle Schools has a Peer Buddy group which currently supports the students in the Life Skills classroom. Peer Buddy groups can also be referred to as a Circle of Friends. This concept is practiced more widely in European schools, but is also taking hold here in America. A peer buddy group is a group of students who work to help other students who may be easily marginalized to feel safe and supported in the school setting. They monitor for bullying and reach out in times of need. These programs are frequently used to support students with Autism, but can be used to support any child in need. Other students that could benefit include students who speak a different language or students who are new to the school setting. Participating in a buddy group is a powerful experience for both the “target” student and the buddies. The group of students in this Middle School Buddy Group came together last year to support an individual child in need. Students met weekly to eat together during lunch. We worked on social skills and solving problems that the “target” student was experiencing. I was continually impressed by their ability to identify significant strengths in their struggling peer, as well as come up with feasible solutions to support the student in areas of need. I saw elation from the target student as that child developed relationships and social skills and true compassion from the buddies. My spirits were lifted by the kindness that these students shared and the difference I knew that they were making, not only in the target child’s life, but in their own as well. This year the peer buddy group chose to support the whole Life Skills class, which consists of approximately six students. The buddy group meets once or twice per month to plan activities for a monthly whole group lunch meeting. This year they have planned ice breaker activities and crafts. When we return from break, the students will be planning social skills lessons to present. Watching a group of students with such diverse talents, needs, and backgrounds reach out to each other, support each other, and enjoy each other’s company is an experience that will stay with me throughout my career. When asked why they thought the group was important, student buddies shared that “it is a positive experience” because it “makes people happy,” has helped them to meet other people, and helps other students to have friends. The Life Skills teacher shared that the group lunches are something her students look forward to. She believes that the interactions carry over into social situations outside of the lunch group and can serve as a starting place for classroom discussions. The success of the program was truly made clear to me when I asked one of the students in the Life Skills classroom what he thought about their lunch groups. He shared that he likes “eating lunch with his best friends and buddies,” then asked, “When are we going to do that again?” Resource: Schleider, M. (2007) With open arms: creating school communities of support for kids with social challenges using Circle of Friends, extracurricular activities, and learning teams. Autism Asperger Pub.Co. Shawnee Mission, Kan. As adults, we do not like to think that young children, even those in the toddler and preschool years, can experience stress. Family difficulties, school demands, being over scheduled, and being away from home can all cause stress for a child and lead to anxiety. Anxiety in children can present as irritability, hyperactivity, sadness, or shyness. There are simple ways for caring adults to reduce stress for children including establishing daily routines, taking breaks from hard tasks, reducing stimulation, and practicing new skills together. For more ideas of how to reduce stress in young children, click on the following link: http://www.earlyexperiences.org/stressmanagement.html
Returning this week from Thanksgiving break, I found myself reflecting on the American habit of being thankful for what we have for one Thursday a year, but losing that focus for the remaining 364 days. Believe it or not, this relates to a particular field of psychology research; the field of Positive Psychology. Positive Psychology focuses on the understanding of positive emotions and traits, such as happiness, hope, courage, resilience, integrity, and self-control. The field of Positive Psychology goes deeper than just “positive thinking” and works to gather research to understand and enhance the development of positive traits to foster stronger communities and individuals. As parents and educators, I think most of us hope that our children will have qualities such as hope, resilience, and self-control. Research shows that there are strategies and activities that we can use to help develop positive qualities in children (and ourselves, too).
Some activities include: What Went Well?- If you need a conversation starter for the child that does “nothing” at school every day, the question “What went well today?” can help. Having an open ended question encourages your child to share information. Focusing on the positives can help to develop resiliency and a positive attitude. It is important to remember that it doesn’t have to be something huge, like winning the lottery or breaking the record for the school’s fastest mile to have been something that went well. Learning to notice the smaller positive things in life, such as someone simply saying hello, a pretty sunrise, getting a question right in class, or making it safely home from work on a snowy day can change our perceptions. No matter how bad a day was, at least one thing went well. Three Positive Things Journal- Often when I am talking to students who are struggling with depression, I encourage them to find three positive things that happen each day. Especially when one is feeling “down” this can be very hard to do, but is a good challenge for all of us. Keep a Positive Things Journal. Make two columns on the page. The first column lists three positive events each day and the second column is used to reflect on those things. Reflections can include: why did they happen? Why were they positive? How can I make them happen again? Keep the Thankfulness coming- Hang a large sheet of paper in your house (on your fridge, on a bathroom door, next to your television….). Each member of your family should write or draw on the paper something they are thankful for. Keep it going all month with family members adding events, items, people, and qualities they are thankful for. This helps you to model a sense of gratitude (kids learn best by example), encourages children to think positively, and helps support the idea that we should appreciate the positive things in our lives for more than just Thanksgiving. At the end of the month make some family time to talk about all of the things that were written on the paper. Share Your Thankfulness- Thank the people who add to our lives. You’ve shared at the Thanksgiving table what you are thankful for and kept track of these things for a month on a wall….Write a letter to someone who has given something you are thankful for. People to write to include: teachers, bus drivers, other school staff members, doctors, family members, neighbors, or friends to thank them for what they have appreciated. (If you mail the letters your child can get practice in writing addresses, too). Make a tradition to write a Thankful letter to mail along with the Letter to Santa. Practicing Strengths- Every one of us has positive strengths to bring to the table. There are online quizzes that you and your children can take to help identify yours… or you can help to recognize them in each other. Some people are friendly or compassionate, other people are brave, some people are resilient and bounce back from difficult situations. Take some time to identify the positive traits that you and your family members have and think about how you use those strengths every day. Take some time daily or weekly for the family to share ways that you used your traits. If you see your child using a strength or positive trait, let them know. Writing that praise down can help encourage reading skills and create a cherished memento for your child. For a challenge, try to use a positive trait that does not come as naturally. By taking simple steps to help our children think positively and recognize the strengths they see in themselves and others, we can help our children to develop a foundation of positive character traits that will help them in relationships, school achievement, and managing situations throughout their life. Sources: The National Association of School Psychologists www.nasponline.org The Positive Psychology Center at UPenn www.positivepsychology.org Authentic Happiness (UPenn) www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/home I saw a cartoon over the weekend related to suicide and suicide prevention. The setting was a party and there was a giant elephant at the party with the word Suicide written across his side. Two party goers were whispering to each other- "yes, I see him, but no one wants to talk about it." I thought to myself: How true is that?
Suicide is a very hard thing for most people to talk about. As a mental health professional, I still get a pit in my stomach every time a concern comes up. It is hard to understand the amount of anguish that someone must be in to lead to suicide. Especially dealing with a younger population, it is hard to imagine that a child or teen is experiencing that amount of anguish. Developmentally, teens are susceptible to suicidal ideation. They truly have not experienced the ups and downs in life. If they are in a down, it is difficult for a teen to understand that an up will come eventually. Developmentally, teens are also more likely to seek an impulsive solution to their problems. Experimenting with inhibition lowering substances further increases this risk. Talking to someone who is suicidal is not easy for anyone. There are programs that you can attend to increase your comfort and ability to talk to someone who is suicidal. I have attended the ASIST program, which is a two day program that helps to develop skills in supporting a suicidal individual. The program can be described as mental health first aid- like a medical first aid course, the idea is to learn to support someone until a trained professional can provide assistance. Often places of employment will offer this training, or community mental health organizations. Livingworks.net now offers online learning programs as well. If you have the opportunity to participate in one of these programs, I highly recommend it. Did You Know… · Suicide is the third leading cause of death in all youth aged 15-24, and Caucasian males between the ages of 10 and 19? · One in six high school students have made a suicide plan during the last year, while one in eleven have made a suicide attempt? · 28% of all adolescents and 2% of all children will experience at least one episode of Major Depression? So… What Can I Do? Be Observant! 50-75% of all who die by suicide showed signs! Watch for warning signs and risk factors including: · Observable signs of Depression- an unrelenting low mood, pessimism, hopelessness, irritability, anxiety, changes in sleep patterns or hygiene *Younger children may display greater moodiness, irritability, 'acting out' behaviors, lose interest in playing, and believe that they are 'ugly' or 'not good at anything' · Atypical, hopeless communication of thoughts about death and the afterlife · Impulsive and Aggressive Behavior · Increase in the use of Drugs and Alcohol · Experiencing a close friend or family member die by suicide · Making a plan, giving away possessions, and making that statements suggest that things ‘would be better without them’ · A significant increase in life stressors · An overall deterioration in functioning Talk to them! · Tell them that you are worried about them because… · Let them know that you care about them and that depression is treatable! Try not to downplay their feelings by telling them how much they would hurt their family and friends, or what a wonderful life they have. Don't be afraid to be direct and use the word suicide. People are afraid to say the word suicide to someone they are worried about, but the fact is, if someone is contemplating suicide, saying the word does not make them more likely to follow through. · If concerned about a student, please refer them to a School Psychologist, Counselor, or Social Worker for further assessment. If you have immediate concerns about someone's safety, contact your local emergency room, supervise the person for their safety, and keep items (guns, knives, pills) out of their access. ************************************************************************************************************************** If YOU are feeling suicidal, talk to someone. Find someone that you can be with. If no one is available, call the Suicide Prevention Hotline- 1-800-273-TALK. Depression is treatable. Most often success is found with a combination of medication and counseling. Counseling will help you learn strategies to overcome depression and medication will help to keep your depression at a manageable level while you learn those strategies. Neither are an instant cure, but your depression CAN be helped. Sources: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, American Association of Suicidology, National Association of School Psychologists, National Institute of Health, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention |
WCPS School Psychologists"My school psychologist works with administration to design,
implement, and garner support for comprehensive school mental health
programming". Archives
June 2015
Categories
All
|