ILP ( Independent Learning Project )

This is an unpublished Independent Learning Project

in which copyright subsists

© copyright by Dilara Ceren Eser

July 2019

ABSTRACT

This ILP has focused on teaching American elementary school students with mental disorders, which some mental health experts also call mental health or psychiatric disorders. Further, mental disorders can also affect some academic and or / learning disorders. Importantly, the Child Mind Institute in New York has argued that Educators have often been the first to notice mental disorders in a child and they also influence the perception of other students about mental health (2015). Moreover, there is a clear connection between mental health and academic performance (See introduction for the specific connections). A neuroscientist at University of Oregon, Dr. Neville, found out that children evince specific fears and anxieties that may impede social and academic development at school. Also, one child’s symptoms may be really hard to manage at school while another child with the same condition may not have much difficulty. In addition, like everyone else, kids with mental health challenges have good days and bad, as well as, time periods when they are doing really well and time when their mental health symptoms become more difficult to manage.

Additionally, this study has shown that many teachers, and elementary school administrations are uncertain about how to deal with children with mental disorders. Furthermore, this paper has explored the prevalence of mental disorders in elementary school students in the United States and the types of teaching strategies that teachers can effectively to enhance the learning of these students.

Just put the beginning page number; add Limits of Study and Interdisciplinary Approaches – I asked you to do this already

Page numbers

Chapter I 1 - 13 I.Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………..5 II.Problem Statement……………………………………………………………………………5-8 III. History and Scope…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….10 IV.Rationale…………………………………………………………………………………...11-12 V. Research Questions………………………………………………………………………...12-13 VI.Anticipated Outcomes 13 VII. Achieved Outcomes………………………………………………………………………….14 Chapter II Review of the Literature 15 Methodology…………………………………………………………………………………….32 Chapter IV Discussion……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..35 Chapter V Conclusion………………………………………………………………………...38-40 References …………………………………………………………………………………..41-45

CHAPTER I

I. INTRODUCTION

A mental disorder is also called a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, which is a

behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal

functioning. Significantly, some mental disorders are also connected to learning disorders in

that People have learning disabilities from birth, or develop them during infancy or childhood.

They affect the person’s development and are long-lasting. Also Learning disabilities are

common and many people with learning disabilities have considerable, and often multiple,

mental health problems. Importantly, The National Center for Learning Disabilities in New York

city has shown that ‘’Learning disabilities arise from neurological differences in brain structure

and function affect a person’s ability to receive, store, process, retrieve or communicate

information. While the specific nature of these brain-based disorders they have made,

considerable progress in mapping some of the characteristic difficulties of Learning Disorders

to specific brain regions and structures’’ (2014). The result is the relationship between mental

disorders and Learninh disabilities, using the executive functions of the brain particularly the

ability to focus, pay attention, engage with a task and use working memory. Besides, a mental

disorder could cause a mild to a severe disturbance in thought and/or behavior, hence result in

the inability to cope with ordinary demands of life and routine. Signs and symptoms of mental

disorders can vary, depending on the disorder, circumstances and other factors. In fact, Dr.

Keith Petrosky’s research, there are some examples of signs and symptoms of adults life

include: “Feeling sad or down, confused thinking or reduced ability to concentrate, excessive

fears or worries, or extreme feelings of guilt, extreme mood changes of highs and lows,

withdrawal from friends and activities, significant tiredness, low energy or problems sleeping,

detachment from reality (delusions), paranoia or hallucinations, inability to cope with daily

problems or stress, trouble

understanding and relating to situations and to people.” (2015, p.6).

Besides that, not only adults are suffer from mental disorders but also kids have the same problems. Children's symptoms vary depending on the type of mental illness. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2014) in New York listed some general symptoms of mental disorders in children:

Changes in school performance, such as poor grades despite good efforts, changes in sleeping and/or eating habits, Hyperactivity, persistent nightmares or night terrors. persistent disobedience or aggressive behavior, short attention span, problems with organization, failure to pay attention, frequent distraction, trouble listening even when spoken to directly, failure to finish work, makes lots of mistakes, forgetfulness, hyperactive-impulsive disorder, Students Fidgets and squirm, difficulty staying seated.

Moreover, The Child Mind Institute (2016) research in New York, has listed that:

Of the 74.5 a million children in the United States, an estimated 17.1 million have or have had a psychiatric disorder. Such disorders have included Autism, Attention Deficit Disorder and Down Syndrome. In particular, the prevalence of mental disorders varies depending on age. Also in elementary school children, the most common are anxiety disorders and disruptive behaviors. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Autism have led to many difficulties for children in elementary schools. (P. 6)

Likewise, in inclusive classrooms, who studied students feel supported to learn and explore ideas, safe to express their views in a civil manner, and respected as individuals and members of groups; they view themselves as people who “belong” in a community of learners. Inclusive classrooms support rigorous academic work and deep learning by all students.

Problem Statement

American students with all forms of disabilities have the right to be educated in the least restrictive, most appropriate environment. Furthermore, special students regardless of handicapping condition or severity have the right to learn with the regular students in regular classes. This pattern of education called ‘’Inclusion’’ Psychologist, Mc Leskey, at the University of Florida, Psychologist Rosenberg at State University of New York and Psychologist Westling at California University in their published book, Incusion: Effective Practices for All Students, described the meaning of Inclusion as ‘’All students, regardless of disability are included in the school community as valued members of the school. Students with disabilities actively participate in the academic and extra-curricular activities of the school community; and they are given the instructional and behavioral support to succeed.’’ (McLeskey, Rosenberg, & Westling, 2009, p.6)

Furthermore, research in this area could help come up with practical and empirical

solutions that could really add value to the lives of the learners with mental disabilities as well

as make the professions on experts in psychology, human nature, and related areas better and

effective. Psychologists Susan Guthrie, Catherine A. Lichten, Janna Van Belle, Sarah Ball, and

Knack,& Hofman’s, Understanding mental health in the research environment in USA, reported

anecdotal evidence and press coverage of a ‘‘mental health crisis’’ in academia limited published

evidence regarding the prevalence of specific mental health conditions among researchers. The

majority of the literature on prevalence identified through this review relates to the experience

of work-related stress (and arguably the risk of developing a mental health condition as a result

of exposure to identified stressors) among academic staff and postgraduate students in university

settings.

In consideration to the above statement, it is apparent that as during the research process,

determining the prevalence level of mental disorder cases, as well as the risk of development,

needs. Similarly, Franklin, Kim, Ryan, Kelly, & Montgomery (2012) purport that, “there has

been little research in the evaluation of the participation of the teachers is the school mental

health services or the efficacy level related with the teachers affording such services.”

The above sentiment call attention to a gap of knowledge in the teacher involvement in mental

health disorder issues. Therefore, it became imperative for research on that to be carried out.

II. History and Scope of the Problem

In the past, uncommon behavior or behavior that deviated from the sociocultural norms

and expectations of a specific culture and period has been used as a way to silence or control

certain individuals or groups. As a result, a less cultural relativist view of abnormal behavior

has focused instead on whether behavior poses a threat to oneself or others or causes so much

pain and suffering that it interferes with one’s work responsibilities or with one’s

relationships with family and friends.

A Professor of Psychology at Hood College (Maryland), Ingrid G. Farreras (2016), in

her article, History of Mental illnesses, has stated :

Throughout history there have been three general theories of the etiology of mental illness:

supernatural, somatogenic, and psychogenic. Supernatural theories attribute mental illness to

possession by evil or demonic spirits, displeasure of gods, eclipses, planetary gravitation,

curses, and sin. Somatogenic theories identify disturbances in physical functioning resulting

from either illness, genetic inheritance, or brain damage or imbalance. Psychogenic theories

focus on traumatic or stressful experiences, maladaptive learned associations and cognitions,

or distorted perceptions. Etiological theories of mental illness determine the care and

treatment mentally ill individuals receive. (p.3).

The scope of this study encompasses to the students with mental disorders in

regular classes with the regular students. The study focused on the inclusive education in

America. It also evaluated how students with disabilities have the different attitudes than

regular students in classrooms. This involves of the inclusive education how effective on

students with disabilities.

It has influenced me as a student teacher on how well student with mental disabilities

can have a better experience in schools. Given that most of these learners do not have the ability

to settle, concentrate, or handle critical and academic matters steals my interest into wanting to

know how to help them settle, relate with other learners or teachers in a socially accepted way.

The mental disorder became a critical area of analysis because of the effect it has on the children

who have the anomalies. Unless the teachers managed them well and the possible ways of

handling them are determined , it might be difficult to have any positive impact in their lives. In

fact, there would be a lot of negative influence if they the teachers were neglected or poorly

handled. Besides, in the interaction with teachers, some have placed concern on the challenges of

handling such children and they argue that such challenges emanate from home, making it

difficult to have a better future or even any slight positive change on these children.

The rationale of conducting this study is that there is a need by educators to know the

current strategies serving in the education of children who suffer from mental disorders so that

best the effectiveness of the methods used is established. As an education student, I am highly

interested in this research since I would like to use effective methods when teaching students

with mental disorders in my current station of duty. The objective of conducting this research is

to understand the strategies currently employed, identify the loopholes that exist suggest best

practice. Through research, there will be an analysis of best practice from different global

institutions. These methods can then be borrowed and applied to local elementary schools. The

subject is crucial because it is important that American society became more inclusive when

handling education related to students who have mental disorders. Learning institutions can bring

about positive change in the lives of students with medical disorders thus it is important for

educators to understand the challenges that these institutions face as they try to be inclusive.

V. Research Questions

2. What challenges do teachers and institutions face when including children with mental disorders in a regular school environment?

3. Are the current teaching strategies used in elementary school students with mental disorders effective?

4. Which are the most effective strategies for teaching elementary school students with mental disorders?

VI. Anticipated Outcomes

As a result of my project, I anticipate it that this will happen:

1. The research would contribute positively to the educational sector by suggesting the best teaching strategies for students facing mental disorders. The work will be published on the various website so that many people can access it.

2. The research would identify the major issues facing institutions and teachers as they teach students facing mental disorders in an inclusive elementary class and how they overcome these challenges.

3. The study would extend understanding of this topic by bringing out factors that have previously not been considered when teaching elementary students with mental disorders.

VII. Achieved Outcomes

1. The study has established that school-based models of intervention help learners with mental disorders to achieve cognitive, affective, social and psychological outcomes

2. Parents, providers of mental health care, and teachers need to collaborate in any given intervention for it to be effective to the learners.

3. It is essential to have intervention as early as possible on the learners for better results.

CHAPTER II

LITERATURE REVIEW

This section reviewed literature on the subject, which is the strategies for teaching children with mental disorders. The section then discussed the characteristics of children with mental disorders, teachers and their interaction with children who have mental disorders and current teaching strategies in elementary schools. This literature reviewed is significant as it helps the researcher understand the previous research and understand any gaps that need to be addressed.

Some mental disorders like depression or schizophrenia are often not recognized by the

teachers, or parents in elementary school kids. Moreover, parents and teachers often have

difficulty believing children can become depressed or schizophrenic, and it is difficult recognize

the symptoms in children, which may not be the same as adult symptoms. Failure to recognize

and threat those disorders by the specialists can have serious consequences:

◗ Depression affects students’ academic performance and social relationships. As an example, arguing with the classmates or not listening the teacher during course period.

◗ Depression in childhood and adolescence often sets the stage for mental health problems in adult life.

◗ There is a close correlation between schizophrenia, thinking about suicide, planning suicide, and committing suicide. citation

When young people have bipolar disorder, they often experience euphoria, alternating

with hostile anger. The types of behaviors commonly seen in students with euphoria are

giddiness, silliness, irritability, rushed speech, or heightened sense of self-power or importance.

According to British Columbia Ministry of Education’s research, Teaching Students with

Mental Health Disorders:

Youth may deny that they have any problem, while it is obvious that this is not the case.

Furthermore, They may engage in inappropriate risk-taking behaviours, including drug and

alcohol use and sexualized. It is difficult to diagnose classic bipolar mood disorder in children by

because the symptoms may be confused with normal variations in childhood

development and other related disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. (2001,

P.9)

Prevalence in Elementary School Children

National Mental Health Information Center in New York, Children’s Mental Health Facts: Children and Adolescents with Mental, Behavioral, and Emotional Disorders:

Anxiety disorders are the most common group of mental disorder among children, affecting about 13 percent of 9- to 17-year-olds. This category includes panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. Youth with these problems worry excessively about events that require their performance, such as homework, tests, participating in class, and forming and keeping relationships. They sometimes feel driven to perform rituals that seem to serve no purpose, or are immobilized by past traumatic events.(2014)

Also, Department of Mental Health and Human Services (DHHS) has shown that in their program of, Mental Health in Elementary School, “Children with attention disorders, such as ADHD, often have difficulty concentrating in school, can be impulsive and distractible, and have problems getting along with—and being liked by—their peers. About 3 to 5 percent of children are estimated to have ADHD.” (2014).

Facts about mental disorders in U.S. children

Mental health in childhood means reaching developmental and emotional milestones, and learning healthy social skills and how to cope when there are problems. Mentally healthy children have a positive quality of life and can function well at home, in school, and in their communities. In addition to this Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) used surveys, to understand which children have diagnosed mental disorders and whether they received treatment. In this type of survey, parents report on the diagnoses their child has received from a healthcare provider:

ADHD, behavior problems, anxiety, and depression are the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders in children

· 9.4% of children aged 2-17 years (approximately 6.1 million) have received an ADHD diagnosis.

· 7.4% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 4.5 million) have a diagnosed behavior problem.

· 7.1% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 4.4 million) have diagnosed anxiety.

· 3.2% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 1.9 million) have diagnosed depression.

Some of these conditions commonly occur together. For example:

· Having another disorder is most common in children with depression: about 3 in 4 children aged 3-17 years with depression also have anxiety (73.8%) and almost 1 in 2 have behavior problems (47.2%).

· For children aged 3-17 years with anxiety, more than 1 in 3 also have behavior problems (37.9%) and about 1 in 3 also have depression (32.3%).

· For children aged 3-17 years with behavior problems, more than 1 in 3 also have anxiety (36.6%) and about 1 in 5 also have depression (20.3%).

Depression and anxiety have increased over time

· “Ever having been diagnosed with either anxiety or depression” among children aged 6–17 years increased from 5.4% in 2003 to 8% in 2007 and to 8.4% in 2011–2012.4

· “Ever having been diagnosed with anxiety” increased from 5.5% in 2007 to 6.4% in 2011–2012.

· “Ever having been diagnosed with depression” did not change between 2007 (4.7%) and 2011-2012 (4.9%).

Treatment rates vary among different mental disorders

· Nearly 8 in 10 children (78.1%) aged 3-17 years with depression received treatment.

· 6 in 10 children (59.3%) aged 3-17 years with anxiety received treatment.

· More than 5 in 10 children (53.5%) aged 3-17 years with behavior disorders received treatment.

Mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders begin in early childhood

· 1 in 6 U.S. children aged 2–8 years (17.4%) had a diagnosed mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder.

Rates of mental disorders change with age

· Diagnoses of depression and anxiety are more common with increased age.

· Behavior problems are more common among children aged 6–11 years than children younger or older.

Estimates based on parent-reported diagnoses may match those based on medical records, but children may also have mental disorders that have not been diagnosed. ( CDC, 2016)

https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html.

Mental Health in the Classroom

Individuals who have mental disorders have several challenges that they face in life. There are several mental illnesses that specifically affect children. The challenges are based on the particular mental health issue that a child faces. According to CDC’s research, one of the major disorders that affects school age children (3 to 17) is Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder. It leads to children having a short attention span (CDC, 2018). The children are also easily distracted and, in some cases, talk too much. Additionally, medication is an option to control symptoms and help students. The symptoms can also be an indication of another mental disorder.

Anxiety is also a common mental disorder and displayed itself in and outside of the classroom. It can lead to absenteeism. About 3 percent of students in K-12 are diagnosed with anxiety (CDC, 2018). Students suffering from anxiety struggle to finish tasks, fear to fail in new experiences and excessively worry about homework and grades. Some of these students turn to substance abuse to cope with their anxiety.

Depression is another mental disorder. It can lead to a drop in grades, lack of motivation, lesser colleague interaction and absenteeism (CDC, 2018). Also, these students isolate themselves and sometimes fail to complete assignments. Some students experience suicidal tendencies. An Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD) is another mental disorder affecting children. These children have difficulty socializing, problems with reading nonverbal language and repetitive behaviors. In addition to this, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders have explained in their article, Autism Spectrum Disorder:

Communication Problems in Children:

The ability of children with ASD to communicate and use language depends on their intellectual and social development. Some children with ASD may not be able to communicate using speech or language, and some may have very limited speaking skills. Others may have rich vocabularies and be able to talk about specific subjects in great detail. Many have problems with the meaning

and rhythm of words and sentences. They also may be unable to understand body language and the meanings of different vocal tones. Taken together, these difficulties affect the ability of children with ASD to interact with others, especially people their own age. (ASD, P.1 )

Post-Traumatic stress disorder is another challenge faced by students in the classroom. It makes a student have unpredictable mood swings, and the behavior is not predictable. It mainly happens to children who have undergone a traumatic event hence leading to emotional distress when the child has a flashback of the events (CDC, 2018). It can cause hostility and fear. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder also affects students and presents behavior such as inappropriate thoughts, extreme orderliness, and obsessive thoughts. Their school work is affected in terms of low grades and they may fail to do their work.

Tourette syndrome is also a common mental disorder. It is more common in females and develops in children aged 3 to 9. It makes these children have uncontrollable movements that are distractive in class both to them and their colleagues. Oppositional Defiant Disorder also affects students, and they become angry and hostile towards the teacher and other students. They become rebels in class and therefore constantly question the teachers and blame others for their mistakes. The most common symptom is anger. Conduct disorder is another mental disorder affecting students. It is like oppositional defiant disorder, and these students act like bullies. They also have discipline issues. Eating disorders also happen where students pick up unhealthy eating through excessive eating or poor eating. Eating disorders can be hard to notice since some of the students may continue excelling in class (CDC, 2018). Some students, however, are greatly affected by their body image, and this can affect their classwork. Explain

Effective leadership is required in schools so that teachers can be given the necessary support in enhancing the mental welfare of students. Teachers require quite a conducive environment that enables them to reflect on their understanding of children’s mental health and provide an opportunity for professional dialogue.

Losinski, Maag&Katsiyannis (2015), carried out a study on the character and attitudes of pre-service teachers towards students with mental illness. They explain how even though mental health is a controversial topic in schools, concerns of people have been raised after recent mass shootings have happened in schools. Schools are seen as the best institutions to intervene since they can deliver help to students with mental health issues. It is necessary to understand what teachers feel about students with mental illness and whether they understand their needs.

Nolan (2017), conducted a study on the attitudes of teachers towards students with ADHD (Attention Deficiency/Hyperactivity Disorder) and Anxiety Disorder. The research sought to explore the stigmatization that students have faced from their teachers and any gender-based attitudes that existed about ADHD and anxiety. The researcher used the Implicit Relational Assessment Procedure, also known as IRAP, and self-report measures as the tools of research. The respondents were 74 primary school teachers who taught students aged 4 to 12. The first study looked at the stigmatization and 36 teachers aged between 23 to 59 took part. The results showed that teachers did not display stigmatization attitudes towards children with ADHD and anxiety. The second study investigated whether there was gender bias about the students with anxiety disorders and ADHD. 38 teachers took part, and they were aged between 23 and 63. Results showed that teacher had gender bias towards mental disorders, ADHD and anxiety. ADHD was mostly associated with boys and anxiety with girls. This shows that there needs to be more research in attitudes towards children with mental illness. These gaps can then be addressed through teacher training.

Taylor (2018), researches on the attitudes of middle school children towards mental illness. Even though there have been mental health services in many schools, the youth today are still in need of mental health resources. There is limited information concerning the mental health services provided by schools. The study, therefore, sought to look at how middle school children viewed mental health. The study adopted a cross-sectional design, and the sample was drawn from middle school children in Northwest Arkansas. The results show that middle school children should be provided with a variety of programs that will support their mental health needs. Middle school children feel that there should be additional resources and want to be involved when there is decision making concerning the resources that need to be offered. They also questioned programs that they had seen work successfully in other areas. Many children preferred using technological applications and preferred programs that would be peer-led. The results of the study show that there is a need for schools to continue offering a variety of resources for mental health so that student needs can be met.

However, there are cases of negative perception of children with intellectual or mental disabilities. Foloştină, Duţă, & Prăvălici (2014), state that “the negative attitudes towards people with intellectual disability may constitute a barrier to their inclusion in schools, at work, and in the community, in general.” (p.)Where is page number A number of therapists, teachers, and psychologists have investigated attitudes and established that mutual professionalism, active participation to social life, and equal promotion of opportunities come about with better attitudes towards others.

Among the most significant aspects of classroom interaction is the way through which the teachers make sense of an offer and respond to the learning behavior of the students. It is the attitude and the expectations of the teacher that would either boost or degrade the academic performance of the learners. The societal, governmental and citizen’s attitude towards the learners or individuals with special needs has been quite degrading and negative. Chimhenga (2016) studies the attitudes of the teachers towards the students and sees that they are quite important as is determined by the performance of the learners. When learners fear and tend to be unprepared in working with students with disabilities in regular schools, there is a demonstration of frustration, negative attitude, and anger that results in the low academic performance of individuals. On the other hand, when the teachers handling the mentally disabled learners, the displayed attitudes affect the rate and the level at which they acquire information. Teachers have a positive perception when students have clean and decent appearance. The learners could only accept a teacher who also accepts them even in class.

The labeling of the learners based on their physical appearance and less intelligence demotivates the learners in class and could result in poor academic performance. That is also a less inclusive environment that limits fulfillment in class and could lead to poorer outcomes. Where is the rest of the paragraph with the evidence to support this claim

Teacher-Student Relationship

From Miller-Lewis, Sawyer, Searlie and Sawyer’s (date) research, it is indicated that the role a teacher plays in the lives of the learners is invaluable because the students are greatly dependant on the teacher all the time because of the expected academic outcomes. Furthermore, the teacher-child relationship adds up to the achievement of the learner as well as the quality of development the child attains. According to Miller-Lewis et al. (2014), “when a child has problematic teacher relationships and they come from an economically low situation as well as the intellectual disorders their stability goes low and their academic performance is affected” (p.). Miller-Lewis et al. (2014), researches student-teacher relationships and mental health. The study evaluated the implications of early mental health issues and the influence on the quality of relationships the children have with teachers. Using 19 longitudinal studies, the research what is the title established that in the case of the positive child-teacher relationship finish this idea before going to something else, then there are the study was five years ago so why are you using present tense health outcomes in the children who have mental or intellectual or early behavioral issues. Comment by Yazar:

The results showed that there are two trajectories of the quality of student and teacher relationships. The first was a student-teacher relationship of high quality, while the second was declining quality of student-teacher relationship quality. Having a high-quality student-teacher relationship was related to fewer mental health problems, as shown by the teacher and parent ratings. It was also associated passive with greater prosocial behavior by the time the child reaches six years of age, fewer peer problems, and fewer conduct and hyperactivity issues use the dictionary and thesaurus to find other words and stop saying the same words over and over. The high-quality trajectory was also linked passive to fewer emotional symptoms which are teacher-rated. The findings also showed that early intervention and prevention that focused on building high-quality teacher-student relationships during preschool and in the transition to normal school will assist in the reduction of mental health issues among children.

According to Fazel, Hoagwood, Stephan, & Ford (2014), “mental health care that occurs within a school setting could create a continuum of integrative care which makes the mental and health educational achievement for the children better. To improve such a continuum, and have optimal child development, there is a need for reconfiguration of mental health and education systems to assist in the implementation of the evidence-based process. Besides, integrative approaches which combine class-level and student-level strategies are of great importance.” The initial intervention suggested by Fazel et al. (2014) needs assessment and screening through which school professionals working with the children have to advocate for the use of a multiple-gates screening process for specific groups, based on pre-determined cut off and then through interviews and assessment of the learners. A multitiered system then should support such as evaluation for complete intervention and universal program in which character development, functional behavior, risk management, and psychological disorders are established. Moreover, the schools should have providers of mental health services who are qualified, well funded, and with the right criteria of having eligible children offered needful services. The depression level, cognitive impairment, self-esteem, motivation, academic engagement have also to be regarded by the providers of mental health services based on different cultures, social structures, and aims of health versus school systems. In the USA context, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act had to be prioritized and its relationships with the educational success evaluated so that the support offered to have a positive effect on the intervention that is administratively and geographically afforded.

Moreover, the promotion of mental health is imperative as espoused by Plato who noted that “by maintaining a sound system of education and upbringing, you produce citizens of good character”. This means that once universal mental health packages are promoted the social, emotional learning skills and related positive techniques will be achieved amongst learners. Fazel et al. (2014) pinpoint too that, “In the USA, programs such as ICan Problem Solve, and the Good Behavior Game, have documented success in the short term and long term. Interventions to help behavior management withhold-school or classroom-based programs have increasing empirical support. For example, positive behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) offers a framework for multitiered interventions(Fazel et al., 2014).”

This research shows that intervention programs in schools with children with mental disabilities have to be several and used appropriately among not only the teachers but other providers of mental health care for the children to gain. I would like to see you do some editing and revising without me elling you what is wrong; you should be able to see what the errors are since they are the same and my advice to you is the same. If you keep writing in the passive voice, not much will make sense. I will keep reading, but not correcting. If you are only changing the things I point out, then you are copying, not critically thinking

Rones & Hoagwood (2000), carry out a study on school-based mental health services. Schools play an integral role when it comes to the provision of mental health services to children. Many school-based intervention programs, however, do not have any evidence showing whether they are successful or not. The researcher analyzed various studies conducted between 1985 and 1999, looking at school-based mental health programs for children. The researcher analyzed at studies which used a randomized research design, control groups and standard measures of outcomes. Furthermore, studies which had a baseline assessment were considered. The study was able to yield about 47 studies. The results of the analysis show that many mental health programs in schools showed evidence of having an impact on emotional and behavioral issues displayed by students. The researcher, however, notes that no programs target specific mental disorders. Significant features of these programs that increased their sustainability and longevity were identified as having programs that were implemented consistently. Additionally, including parents, peers, and teachers in program formulation and implementation helped in sustaining the programs. Using different modalities for the programs also helped a great deal. It is a fact that some programs were integrated into classroom environments hence making it easier for teachers to implement. Integrating it into the curriculum also made it applicable across several schools. Also, the programs were structured in such a way that they were appropriate to the development of the children.

Another research by Hoagwood et al. examines the school interventions aimed at enhancing academics and mental health performance of students. The researcher looks at 64 articles published between 1990 and 2006. Out of these articles, only 24 looked at mental health and learning outcomes. Many of the school-based mental health programs did not include measures of the outcomes that had been achieved. The outcomes most frequently assessed were academic results and school attendance. Many of the interventions were focused on students of elementary schools and were mostly preventive and targeted toward antisocial and aggressive behaviors. 15 of the 24 studies showed a positive impact on mental and educational outcomes. 11 of these interventions included teachers and parents. Studies that impacted only mental health were less intensive and had less family involvement.

Bradshaw, Mitchell, and Leaf (2010) examine the effects of positive school interventions and their effect on student outcomes. Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support program is implemented in over 9000 schools in the United States to prevent issues brought about by disruptive behavior. It applies behavioral and social principles. The study used data from 5 years trials of this program in 37 elementary schools to analyze the effect on issues such as suspension of students, discipline and academic achievement. Results indicated that the schools which implemented the program faithfully benefited from a reduction in the suspension of student and discipline referrals to the office.

The study by Durlak et al. (2011) explores how interventions are used to enhance social and emotional learning. Their research uses a sample of 213 programs on social and emotional learning. The programs are applicable across 270,034 schools, from kindergarten up to high school. The students under this program showed improved emotional skills, behavior, attitude, and performance. The teachers used these programs successfully. The outcomes of the program were enhanced by using four practices for skill development. Implementation problems were also noted. The programs had a positive impact in general. It is therefore recommended that they are adopted by policymakers and educators. Support should be provided for the programs to be implemented in the education sector.

Langlely et al. (2015) research on the effectiveness of interventions implemented for children who have undergone traumatic events. The researchers aim to analyze if the intervention has an impact on reducing depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress. The sample population consisted of 74 children in elementary school grade 1 to 5 and their caregivers. The students who participated have posttraumatic stress symptoms. The school clinicians had been trained to deliver an intervention known as Bounce Back which consisted of 10 sessions and was characterized by cognitive-behavioral group activities. The intervention took place immediately or within three months. The reports of posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety were assessed immediately, and at 3 and six months respectively. The results showed that the Bounce Back intervention program was implemented excellently. Children who received the intervention immediately, rather than later, showed great improvement in the management of posttraumatic stress and anxiety symptoms. This group showed improvement over the three months of the study and during the 6-month follow up period. The intervention is therefore feasible and effective, hence can be adopted in the management of children who have posttraumatic stress and anxiety.

Research by Montanez et al. (2015) analyzes an elementary school-based mental health promotion program. The researchers explain that many children of school going age and have mental disorders which lead them into social, behavioral and emotional problems, fail to get the necessary mental health services. These issues affect academic achievement. The problem is prevalent among Latino youth, and they are a representation of the largest ethnic minorities in the United States. They are also the largest group whose mental health needs are not met. School-based programs for mental health can deal with such issues. The authors study such an intervention based in Manhattan, New York. The study examined the effects of a program known as SBMH-PP which was targeted towards 174 Latino students who were at risk and were based in two elementary schools from 2000 to 2009. The academic performance, attendance rate, and teacher reports were analyzed during the time of implementing the program. The results show that there were increased classroom adherence and academic achievement as well as prosocial behavior. There was a great improvement in performance as compared to the students who were not part of the program. Such programs can, therefore, be used especially in assisting minority programs.

This topic of “teaching students with mental disorders” is not a new topic, but arriving at the

decision to choose it for my ILP was not an easy task. I started thinking about this topic sometimes back

when we visited a class that had this problem but teachers were not also aware of remedies for this

problem. When I learned that students with mental problems in schools, but they are not given the

appropriate interventions due to lack of awareness or lack of enough resources. Another time when the

issue really touched me was when I read about it in the New York Times see Lester and set up all titles throughout the ILP correctly and this was in May this year.

These pieces of information I got from various encounters made the problem of mental disorders among

students to become an interesting topic for me to study and I hoped one day I would get an opportunity

to conduct an in-depth research about this topic. I always yearn for becoming a good counselor in my

teaching profession because I believed this is the only way I could help these students. In June this year,

I attended a workshop to discuss the strategies that teachers can employ to help students with mental

disorders and since then I started having strong interest about what I could do as a teacher to add some

insights and knowledge to the existing ones regarding this topic. Even while at home, the issue of

students suffering from mental disorders feature in TV programs, radio programs, Newspapers,

Magazines and online advertisements, and this has continued encouraging me research on the topic. Vary your vocabulary and stop repeating so much. Make sure tenses are correct and that you have gotten rid of passive

A lot of the movies I watch either at school or at home feature children experiencing mental disorders

and this makes them to become physically and verbally aggressive. In books, various authors have also

talked about mental problems and how it affects students’ productivity and academic performance.

When I got the opportunity to write my ILP, I had more interest in understanding the reality of mental

disorders especially among in elementary school students and this made me to settle on the topic. As I

embarked in studying this topic, what was more important to me was how these students could be

diagnosed and treated in good time because delayed diagnosis and treatment is more detrimental than

when these students are helped early enough. When I started doing my ILP on this topic, I started

collecting data about the topic online by using keywords such as “what is mental health disorder.” Some

of the journal articles that I got online include the article written by the Canadian Mental Health

Association about the “Fast facts about mental illness.” This article vividly describes mental illness and

ways through it affects students’ mental health. According to the article, mental illness has become

great threat to children and adolescents and in this regard, there is need for an urgent action to avert

these disorders before they ruin education of several students both in elementary schools and colleges

across the world. Moreover, I went again to Google Scholar and searcher for “Strategies to handle

mental health problems.” One of the highly rated articles that caught my eyes was Losinski et al. (2015)

taking about the “Characteristics and Attitudes of Pre-Service Teachers toward Individuals with Mental

Illness.” The journal article also talked about ways through the Pre-Service Teachers can handle students

suffering mental illnesses, instead of discriminating against them because this might continue worsening

the condition of these students.

Furthermore, I continued searching online for more surveys about mental illness, and I found a

study conducted by Mathers, Fox and Hunn (2013) about the topic. The researchers interviewed a total

of 300 elementary teachers and early childhood teachers from 7 schools situated within the urban, rural

and suburban areas. The 95% of these participants were the European Americans and 96% of this

sample to be females. Moreover, the 4% were the Asian American while 2% were the African American.

The years of experience for the participants will range from 2 to 40 years with the average experience

years at 15 years. In addition, the mean average experience years for these teachers were expected to

represent the state over-all, but teachers with 5 years of experience and below were a representation of

25% in the entire research sample. The survey shed more light on the effects of mental illness on

students’ academic performance and one of the findings was that mental illness is currently a big threat

to students’ school lives growth and that teachers must be equipped with the necessary knowledge and

skills to address the problem. Indeed all the articles and online resources that I researched helped me

have an in-depth understanding and insights about mental health and strategies to be used to address

the problem. In this regard, I now hold a strong belief that all the teaching fraternity, the government

and private sector rise up and combine forces in fighting this problem because if it is not address in good

time, it would damage the lives of our children and young ones.

CHAPTER IV :

DISCUSSION

i. Helping students having psychiatric disorders

It is often very important for whom to support students that who experience psychiatric disorders;

however, it is not always possible to help all students simply because they have attended

schools with engaging and positive climate. This what – positive climate is likely to make those students start showing

risk-taking behaviors while others may not show such behaviors thus making it very difficult for whom to

identify them and address their needs (Canadian Mental Health Association, 2012) where does the paraphrase begin? You have no transition and since it is so old, does it still apply. In many

cases, students might internalize problems which later lead to anxiety, depression, and stress.

The students might not be willing to seek for health from their teachers because of the stigma

that often relates to mental disorders. In fact, stigma is indicated to be one of the main barriers

that block elementary students from seeking mental health services. In this respect, the school

head-teachers are often advised to apply huge efforts in dealing with stigma through the

creation of mental health awareness among the elementary school students and teachers

(Girma et al. 2013). Moreover, there is a need for elementary schools to create awareness and

promote messages about warning signs to the community and parents via brochures, flyers,

and newsletters to further help address the problem.

ii. Recognize warning signs Who is supposed to recognize – you never have subjects

The elementary school teachers also early enough know the risk-taking behaviors

exhibited by suffering from mental illness. Moreover, the school teachers will need to identify

the behaviors regarding mental health illnesses especially from students that are not willing to

articulate their problems or feelings (Ministry of Education, 2013). The warning signs shown by

students that need urgent mental intervention might include:

• Appearing anxious and tense

• Exhibiting violence

• Experiencing withdrawal

• Showing stubbornness

Upon observing the above behaviors, it would be important for the school teachers to

prosocially address them (Ministry of Education, 2013). Moreover, it would also be important

for the teachers to help such students to develop practical alternatives as they struggle to heal

from their mental disorders. This will also help them to learn precursors of self-calming

strategies and emotional distress. The schools that have identified the specific students that

need mental health treatment should refer them to the mental health staff for immediate

actions before the situation escalates (Reinke et al. 2011). Some of the programs such as

building-level student support teams would help establish the exact mental health services

needs for this group.

iii. System of care

The intensive supports for psychiatric health needs will also be needed by some

students (Girma et al. 2013) and the students who are in dire need of intensive intervention

may be put under the system of care to help them recover fast. In fact, all teachers working

with students in a coordinated system of care are expected to main regular and open lines of

communication especially with the community, family members and school personnel

regarding the needs of mentally handicapped students. Also, the school administrators will

need to ensure they establish a clear school-wide crisis procedure for the staff to fast-track

mental intervention for the students suffering from psychiatric disorders. Why only one paragraph

iv. Classroom strategies

Some of the class strategies for teachers working with students suffering mental

disorders and who need urgent intensive mental healthcare intervention include;

Identifying resources: it is often important to know the available school professionals who have

the capacity to treat students suffering from mental disorders when working with students who

are at risks of the problem (Canadian Mental Health Association, 2012). Every school teacher is

often having unique knowledge and skill base making them valuable resource when it comes to

mental health treatment. Some of the useful individuals in a school setup that can help provide

mental healthcare to such students include school teachers, nurses, administrators, counselors,

psychologists and specialists e.g. chemical dependency specialists, behavior specialists and

family liaison workers. You are using old info with no indication of using more up to date sources

Establishing a conducive and supportive environment: the students suffering from severe

mental disorders may need a conducive and supportive environment. In addition, such students

may need work and break schedule to help them continue recovering (Bond et al. 2007). The

breaks are needed only as reinforces and they need not deprive the students of their duties for

classwork. However, in case these breaks become often essential, then other strategies will be

needed to prevent students from relapsing. Moreover, there is a need whose need? What kind of need? Social? Emotional? Psychological? Egotistical? Economic? to remain calm and in

control, because the power struggle between the student and the teacher usually arise due to

the inability of students to maintain their emotional stability. This is the reason why it is often

important for teachers to remain composed and conversant in dealing with mental disorders

(Bradshaw, Mitchell & Leaf, 2010). The modified classroom expectations can also benefit these

students and the depressed students can be allowed to discuss their lessons privately with

teachers as they record them. I never know where paraphrases begin because you do not introduce them with appropriate transitions. In fact, there should be no paraphrases and it does not make sense to use them. Not to use them is in the directions, so I can’t understand why you and other students would use what is going to hurt the paper and indicate you are copying, not thinking. I just don’t get it

Having a break: I do not understand your subheadings

• Students can be asked passive to walk a folder to the office or walk a note to a teacher.

• They can be given passive the opportunity to visit a school friend or teacher who they have also developed a close rapport with.

• A section of the classroom that provides the students with composure needs what does the law say and what is the punishment STOP PREACHING AS I HAVE TOLD YOU SO MANY TIMES to be designated PASSIVEfor that purpose.

• Finally, the students can be asked passive to write or draw a picture of any story concerning their feelings and then a follow up is needed to discuss the feelings related to the picture or story.

Chapter V

CONCLUSION

The problem of mental health disorders in elementary schools and ways through by, not through which

these disorders are related to social, behavior and academic outcomes for students is indeed

apparent in the entire US and across the world. The research conducted by Dr. Sylod

Chimhenga, I can’t follow any of your titles – please use Lester and set them up correctly Attitudes of Teachers towards students with disabilities in mainstream classes,

established that students who are mentally fit can adequately focus on their academic works

and sufficient put proper endings on words deal with their daily endeavors, whereas students who suffer from mental

disorders cannot achieve excellent academic performance. How about good or fair performance; indeed, there are precious few people anywhere who can achieve excellent This is the reason why all schools

across the world are required to make plans and initiate discussions about the strategies that

can be used to support the mentally handicapped students. The priority must be given passive to teen

suicide awareness and prevention especially in the elementary schools where the problem is

found passiveto be prevalent. Some of the myths that merely by talking about mental health can make

students become mentally ill must be debunked and the students adequately examined to

identify the ones who are mentally unhealthy.

Moreover, the elementary school teachers are encouraged passive to identify the warning

symptoms, signs and be able to single out students whose behaviors insinuate that they might

be suffering from mental disorders. This is important because such students are likely to be

helped passive in good time before the situation escalates to levels that is difficult to deal with (Durlak

et al. 2011). The school players are expected passive to adequately discuss the support systems and

resources within their facilities because this can help deal with the situation jointly. The

discussion needs why – what law says so to focus on issues such as mental illness and suicide among students since this which one? This means one so which one thing are you talking about?

would make students to feel more open in seeking mental interventions. The main objective of

such discussions is to help treat these students to enable them to achieve excellent academic

performance and get rid of anxieties, stress, and depression that often results from various

mental illnesses.

Implications

This study will when and how do you know – are you a fortune teller apparently have great who is going to measure what is great and measure how == no one can follow these future generalities. There is no evidence anywhereimplications on the education reforms and will

broadly serve how – where is your evidence as a reminder to the curriculum planners and policymakers where – all the states, the federal gov., the local gov. You have nothing specific aso all this sounds like wishful thinking, not a well thought our research paper that the problems

related to mental disorders are real and priority should be given passive I am really tired of the preaching – I have told you over and over not to do this and yet you continue – why? It makes no sense to preach the intervention strategies.

Moreover, the stigmas that are linked to mental disorders need to be mitigated to help the

adolescents and children suffering from mental illnesses seek mental health interventions in

good time or else the problem can escalate to extreme levels which are disastrous (Foloştină,

Duţă & Prăvălici, 2014). The study focused on areas like stigma which is identified as one of the You can find and fix the rest of the errors. I have to move on to the next paper, so please make final revisions and submit for the last time for grading

key barriers to mental health treatment. With respect to the research findings of Losinski,

Maag, and Katsiyannis (2015), the onset of mental illness is below the age of twenty-five

meaning that 20% of students in an elementary class are likely to be experiencing the problem.

This is the reason why the creation of awareness about the disease is essential because keeping

quiet might worsen the situation.

Finally, this study is significant as it provides ample knowledge and insights into the

problem of teacher expectations and strategies that elementary teachers need to apply in

dealing with students that suffer from mental disorders. The research conducted by Mathers,

Fox & Hunn (2013) established that teachers would sometimes feel inadequate to tackle the

problems of psychiatric disorders since they lack sufficient tools and resources to understand,

diagnose and treat the diseases. In order to address these challenges, this study will have a

particular implication for teachers of elementary schools to help them support students that

require mental healthcare services. The study, therefore, encourages teachers to have the

willingness to face the problem of mental health disorders and create mental health awareness

that would establish resilience in dealing with the issue. I stopped correcting hoping that you could find your own mistakes and fix them on your own so that you are not simply copying me. I wll give you until the last Wednesday in July to revise and demonstrate your level of critical thinking. Then, I will grade the paper as is without further ado.

Arnold, J. (2011). Attention to Affect in Language Learning. Online Submission, 22(1), 11-22.

Berliner, D. C. (2014). Toiling in Pasteur's quadrant: the contributions of NL Gage to educational psychology'~. Educational Psychology: A Century of Contributions: A Project of Division 15 (Educational Psychology) of the American Psychological Society, 391.

Bond, L., Butler, H., Thomas, L., Carlin, J., Glover, S., Bowes, G., & Patton, G. (2007). Social and school connectedness in early secondary school as predictors of late teenage substance use, mental health, and academic outcomes. Journal of Adolescent Health, 40(4), 357-e9.

Bradshaw, C. P., Mitchell, M. M., & Leaf, P. J. (2010). Examining the effects of schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports on student outcomes: Results from a randomized controlled effectiveness trial in elementary schools. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 12(3), 133-148.

Bureau, U. C. (2011). Income, poverty, and health insurance coverage in the United States: 2010. Washington, DC: US Census Bureau.

Chimhenga, S. (2016). Attitudes of teachers towards students with disabilities in mainstream classes: the case of teachers in some selected secondary schools. Asian Journal of Educational Research, 4(4), 36-42. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3ace/c5f883d6649136d36368216329a7adf400de.pdf

Day, S. (2008). Theory and design in counseling and psychotherapy. Lahaska Press, Houghton Mifflin Company.

Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., &Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta‐analysis of school‐based universal interventions. Child development, 82(1), 405-432.