Behavioural Problems and Emotional Disturbances in School Students - Essay Example

?Behavioural Problems and Emotional Disturbances in School Introduction This essay is concerned with behavioural problems and emotional problems in school students and considers the systems and programmes which need to be developed by school staff in order to offer appropriate support to these student and the staff involved and so enable education of all students to continue at optimum levels. Positive emotional and mental health is necessary for all students if they and their peers are to receive the best possible education and educators are able to work at their optimum level. Experiencing poor levels of mental health has far reaching effects on behaviour , relationships, feelings as well as physical health. Having even one student with psychological and /or behavioural difficulties means that there will be a breakdown in communications with all the ensuing problems that involves. According to Pravda ( 2000) the National Institute of Mental Health declared that they estimate that there are 12 million American school children with mental illness, and that there are approximately 4 % of American school children have either attention deficit disorder ( ADD) or ADHD - Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder. Similar statistics will apply in other western countries. This means that on average there is one or more such child in every class. Kids Matter ( 2010) states that approximately half of all serious mental health condition shave their beginnings before adolescence. A child with a mental health problem can be defined as being someone with behaviour that is disturbing to themselves or to others and which affects their ability to function socially. In document 3 The American National Survey of Children and adolescents ( page 3 1997-2010) breaks down difficulties experienced into four groups. Some of these may seem to be purely physical difficulties , but these can present or add to mental health issues if they cause stress to the children concerned. :- (1) Neurological, as when a child is perhaps especially clumsy, ( dyspraxia) or has a mild degree of spasticity which affects his ability do such things as write clearly or who is frequently dropping things. These children find difficulties using both large and small muscles and could exclude themselves from play as it is just too difficult to catch balls etc. Teachers who are aware of their particular difficulties will be sympathetic to their needs and won’t for instance attempt to force them to undertake athletic tasks which are beyond their physical difficulties and will encourage them in what they can do. Simple things can help such as using special pens , or just winding tape round a normal one to give them something larger to grip can help. Occupational therapists may be able to give positive advice and support. (2) Cognitive, as when a child is operating at an intellectual level below what might be expected for his chronological age. It is necessary to discover whether there is a particular problem which can be helped. Can the child hear and see clearly perhaps? Regular medical checks for all school children should pick up on such conditions. (3) Language, perhaps a refusal to engage with others. This could be due to depression, anxiety or autism among other possible reasons, including physical ones such as tongue tie or deafness. It can prove very difficult to teach children if they cannot engage and communicate. Teachers need to come up with strategies that encourage to participate, rather than just asking questions of whole classes to which only a proportion of children will respond. (4) Behaviour, e.g an inability to concentrate, or temper tantrums, swearing as in Tourette’s Syndrome, or a constant seeking of attention. However individual children may have any combination of these problems, which the survey reveals are much more likely to be obvious in those in contact with social agencies. A child with autism to whatever degree for instance may have difficulties in understanding because of their difficulties in interpreting emotional input. They may fail to respond to questions and so ift affects their language skills. The frustration they experience may also lead to negative behaviour. The survey compilers also point out ( Document 7, page 1) that their survey is not nationally representative, but is a sample taken from the child welfare system. The American National Survey of Children and adolescents ( 1997-2010) in document 7) claims that among children in contact with child welfare departments as many as 14 % have emotional disturbances and whose behaviour patterns may be a way of expressing their need for help. It is necessary that teaching staff are able to distinguish between normal bad behaviour and mental health issues. Almost all children will from time to time lie, fight, loose their temper, refuse to take responsibility of the possible consequences of their actions and find it difficult to concentrate. Dealing With School Children With Mental Health Issues Teachers are neither professional psychologists or psychiatrists, but at the same time are often called upon to deal with children whose behaviour is disturbing, whether because of mood swings, depression or panic attacks among other things. Specialist workshops are available, but even if a teacher does attend, and has the best of intentions, how much can actually be learnt in a few hours, as at the New South Wales Workshop arranged ( October 2011) by Mental Health.ASN. Aus? Often teaching staff may be reluctant to ask for help because they may feel this is a slur on their own abilities to cope. At the same time parents may be reluctant to raise the issue as they do not want their child to be ‘labelled’ and again are concerned about a slur on their parenting abilities. Making materials such as those provided by Kids Matter ( 2010) widely available to families will show parents not only what help is available , but that it is alright to discuss such matters with school staff. These deal with such important matters as anxiety, depression and serious behavioural difficulties as well as autism. Despite such misgivings on the part of the adults involved these children do need to be professionally identified if help is to be provided. School psychologists are specially trained to make this kind of assessment and should be an early point of referral. Although they may not be able to offer cures they should be able to arrive at intervention s which can mitigate and limit the damage that these health problems bring with them. The NASP Advocacy web page ( undated) also suggests that love and encouragement from family, guidance from teachers and other involved adults, a consistency in expectations and support offered and services which make allowance for individual differences, both personal and cultural. Schools must have policies, protocols and structures in place to deal with these children, and allow them to continue with their education, even before such individuals are identified. It seems an obvious thing to say but schools must have programmes which are tailored to encourage individual learning and development, rather than just acting as watchdogs or nursemaids until the children are old enough to be passed on to someone else’s responsibility. This can include quite simple methods such as having books available to children which are particularly concerned with dealing with problems. Children’s Mental Health, Ontario ( 2011) provide a very comprehensive list of such books which cover subjects such as how to deal with anger and depression. Teachers must be aware of ways to prevent disruptive behaviour and how to intervene at an early stage, and aware too of the need to provide support for children who are having particular difficulties. If all such problems are seen as merely discipline issues, rather than considering the possibility of mental health issues, then the proper kind of help may not be accessed The provision of effective support at an early stage can even bring about resolution and so improve life both in the classroom and within families. Large amounts of teacher training time tend to be concerned with teaching them topic knowledge e.g. about maths or history, but this must be balanced with skills such as maintaining discipline, organising lessons, child psychology etc. There must be readily available links to community resources including psychologists, social services etc. As described by Kid’s Matter ( 2011) there needs to be a whole school flexible approach to mental health matters within any school, main stream or special. Staff must have an open door policy – that is they must be reasonably accessible to both students and their families. Communication between school and home must be considered carefully. Letters home don’t always arrive there, so there may for instance be a need to text parents or communicate with them directly in other ways, rather than just through their children. In document 3 of the American Department of Health and Human Services survey of children and adolescents , as well as stressing the need for knowledge of child psychology and development, there should also be a realisation that help and interventions need to be individualised. The same document shows ( page 2) how few children are actually assessed as requiring individualised help and the even lower percentages who actually receive such help. The Kids Matter , Component 4, 2011, states that only about a quarter to one third of children who actually need help with mental health problems actually receive it. The American Department of Health and Human Services conducted an in depth survey of children and adolescents (1997-2010). It was particularly concerned with children who had entered the child welfare system. In its document number 7 it is particularly concerned with the special health care needs of children using the child welfare system. This states in its opening paragraph that such children are often faced with challenges such as health issues , as well as social and emotional needs. If these needs are not met then there will be ‘ongoing negative developmental consequences’. This therefore points out clearly to the fact that adequate early intervention is the key to helping these children. Conclusion Although teachers may well feel that mental health issues are not part of their remit they will undoubtedly meet such issues at many points in their careers. Because of the close nature of their relationship with children teachers can observe difficulties at first hand. For their own sakes and more especially for the benefit of all the children they teach, it is important that teachers understand the issues involved and can feel supported when interventions are required, both by the school and wider society. They should be aware that they can make a real difference in the lives of struggling students, either by their own direct actions, or because they are aware of need and can point children towards available help. Teachers therefore need to be aware of what help is available and how to obtain it. They also need to be assured that it is not a negative reflection upon their teaching abilities if the children in their care require outside assistance. Each initiative involves the people who have a significant influence on children’s lives – parents, carers, families, child care professionals, teachers and community groups – in making a positive difference for children’s mental health. (Kid’s Matter 2011) Works Cited Children’s Mental Health, Ontario, Learn More About Child and Youth Mental Health , 2011, 26th September 2011 http://www.kidsmentalhealth.ca/parents/resources_parents.php Kids Matter, Primary Resource, 2011, 26th September 2011 http://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/primary/uploads/2008/12/KidsMatter-Component_4_06-27.7.10.pdf Kids Matter, 2011, 26th September 2011, http://kidsmatter.edu.au/ Kids Matter, Component 4, 2011, 26th September , http://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/primary/early-intervention-for-students/ Mentalhealth.ASN.Aus, Improving Youth Mental Health, 2011, 26th September 2011 http://www.responseability.org/client_images/1022360.pdf NASP Advocacy, School Psychologists: Providing Mental Health Services to Improve the Lives and Learning of Children and Youth, undated, 25th September 2011 http://www.nasponline.org/advocacy/mhbrochure.aspx National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW), Document 3 United States Department of Health and Human Services , 1997-2010, 26th September 2011 http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/abuse_neglect/nscaw/reports/spec_education/spec_edu.pdf National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW), United States Department of Health and Human Services , 1997-2010, 24th September 2011, http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/abuse_neglect/nscaw/ National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW), Document 7, United States Department of Health and Human Services , 1997-2010, 24th September 2011 http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/abuse_neglect/nscaw/reports/special_health/special_health.html Pravda, M., Emotional Disorders and Psychotropic Medication, Campline, 2000, 24th September 2011 http://www.acacamps.org/campline/00j-emotionaldisorders, Read More