What endlessly amazed me during my time as a teacher is how many students would tell me that they were going through something difficult, or even worse, how many were obviously going through something difficult, yet in either case, the parents did not make any contact with me.  I know that some families like to keep their problems in the home, however, if your child is going through a trauma or is experiencing the onset of mental illness symptoms, it is important that you tell his or her teachers.  But, it should not stop there: the administrators, guidance counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists should also know. 

Why is this so important?  Well, a teacher is less likely to be hard on a student who is struggling, but may take extra time to help them.  But, more importantly, the team that I just listed above needs to know so that they can make a plan to help your child be more successful in school.  These people generally meet at least once a week to discuss the children in the grade who are struggling and brainstorm solutions.  However, without parent help and "buy in," the child is likely to flounder, and not get the help that he or she so imperatively needs. 

Some parents also do not say anything to the "powers that be" in school because they do not want their children to get classified.  They are afraid that to put their child in "special education," their child may not get the rich experience that they would get in a regular classroom setting.  Well, I am here to tell you that this is not always the case.  In the school that I taught, the children in special education were included in most regular education classes.  The difference was, that they got more support around things that they did not understand.  Many times, these children were the ones that did among the best in my class due to the extra support of their special education teachers. 

So, here are a few questions to ask your administrator/ guidance department when revealing that your child is struggling with mental health concerns:

1.  Is your special education department inclusive (meaning do the children that are classified get to participate in the regular classroom setting?)
2. Are the classroom aids trained in how to work with children with mental illness?
3.  Are the special education teachers trained in how to work with children with mental illness?
4.  If not, is there another school in the district that has a special education teacher specifically trained and experienced at working with this population (schools should pay to send your child to these schools, but it is up to you to fight for this). 
5. What are some reasonable accomodations that your child is entitled to?
6. Can your child see a guidance counselor/ school social worker/ school psychologist on a regular basis?
These questions are all so important for you to ask if your child is struggling with a mental health disorder. 
Remember: don't be afraid to speak up and fight for your child.  It's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease.  Children whose parents advocate for them are, in my experience, the ones who are most successful in school. 

Be Well,
~Emily