Cheryl Catron – Mental Health Issues in the K-5 Classroom: Practical Strategies for Helping Young Students Succeed at School

Outline

K-5 Students with Mental Health Issues

• When you know something’s going on, but you don’t know what it is
• Characteristics of at-risk students
• Why children are not small adults
• How skill deficits from mental health issues create behavioral difficulties
• The difference between “can’t” and “won’t”
• How maladaptive behavior serves as protection for the child
• Common myths and limitations about diagnoses

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

• What adults should never say (but usually do)
• How behavior reveals a need
• Are you (unintentionally) rewarding misbehavior?
• Kids who don’t feel bad
• Arguing with a defiant child – who is that about?
• De-escalation strategies that work

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

• The unique needs of children with ADHD
• More than a behavior problem: the neurobiology of ADHD
• How to increase confidence and leadership skills in kids with ADHD
• Decrease disruptions and impulsive behavior
• Improve transitions, social skills, and self-regulation
• ADHD medications: What do teachers need to know?

Anxiety

• What we know about kids who worry too much
• School anxiety – types, characteristics
• What to do about separation anxiety
• The perfectionistic student
• Drawing out the anxious student in a safe way

Depression & Mood Dysregulation

• How depression shows up in young children
• Helping students overcome helplessness
• When is it more than moodiness?
• Helping depressed kids change their inner self-talk

Trauma and Other Significant Life Events

• What the ACEs study has taught us about trauma
• The fight, flight, or freeze response in the classroom
• How to recognize and respond to traumatic stress
• What if you don’t know the child’s history?
• Incorporating trauma-informed practices into your day

Suicide, Self-Harm, and Bullying

• How we talk about suicide is important
• Head banging, hitting, scratching, and other “self-punishment”
• Helping ostracized children feel connected
• Why traditional discipline doesn’t work for bullies
• Making your classroom an emotionally safe space

Other School-Based Considerations

• Collaborating with student support staff and outside clinicians
• Working with non-cooperative/reluctant parents
• Identifying your own triggers, choosing your battles
• Discipline – IDEA, special education consideration
• Screen time in the classroom – why reward systems don’t work
• Limitations of research and potential risks