Schools as a Beacon: Navigating Childhood Mental Disorders

Children with mental health disorders and behavior problems not only face challenges themselves, but so do their family members and teachers. School psychologists can create a more nurturing environment that will meet the needs of the emotionally challenged student. What may go unnoticed by parents or teachers may catch the watchful eye of a helping professional who has the training and set of skills needed to diagnose mental disorders. There is a substantial confirmation regarding the positive influences school can have on its students. Since schools are fundamentally engaged in children’s lives it makes sense that schools could be a powerful reinforcement in treating mental disorders (Browne, G., Cashin, A., & Graham, I., 2012).

Since children

Parents and family members can feel too ashamed or embarrassed to seek help for their loved ones. The problem with this is that stigma and misunderstanding by others makes people suffering with emotional behavioral problem feel left out, withdrawn, with nowhere and no one to turn to for help. If there is help available they may be too embarrassed to ask for it or even push them towards denying a problem society doesn’t like to accept. Having a team of mental health professionals in the school system can help educate the community and reduce the stigma and misunderstanding that comes with mental

Children can also show traits from a social stance that involve: “inabilities to develop and maintain friendships, difficulty in correctly interpreting social cues, and being verbally and physically aggressive behaviors with others” (Browne, G., et al, 2012, p.18). The emotional representations of these troubles include: “impulsive behavior, nervousness and anxiety, easily upset by demands of teachers and parents, inability to concentrate on tasks, and fearful of trying new tasks” (Browne, G., et al, 2012, p.18). Children with mental health and behavior problems have trouble in cognitive and social situations as well as communication. These troubles can be present in the form of “non-compliant behaviors directed towards adults, aggressive behavior with peers including teasing and bullying, and disruptive behavior in classes” (Browne, G., et al, 2012, p.18). Children usually proceed through repeated stressors that will intensify over time if left untreated (Browne, G., et al, 2012, p.17). We should make children’s needs a priority and provide them with the necessities to become successful academically, socially, and emotionally. We are better off treating children while they are young rather than when their troubles worsen. The sooner they are cared for, the