Grief Management

Student Needs	IPRC Exceptionalities	Diagnosed Conditions
Aggression Management Anger/Frustration Management Anxiety Management Articulation Skills Attendance Strategies Attention Skills Assistive Technology Skills Blind/Vision Impaired Bullying Management Skills Central Auditory Processing Deafness Depression/Sadness Management Disengagement/Motivation Strategies Eating Disorder Strategies Emotional Regulation English Language Skills Executive Function Fine Motor Skills Gambling Disorder Grief Management Gross Motor Skills Hearing Intellectual Ability – High Intellectual Ability – Low Listening Comprehension Skills Low Vision Memory Skills Mental Health Strategies Metacognitive Skills Mobility Skills Non-Verbal Reasoning Organizational Skills Personal Care Personal Safety Phonological Processing Processing Speed Self-Advocacy Skills Self-Esteem Self-Harm/Suicide Management Self-Regulatory Skills Sensory Integration Skills Sequencing Skills Social Skills Substance Abuse Strategies Task Initiation Time Management Skills Transition Skills Verbal Ability Visual-Motor Skills Visual-Spatial Processing	Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Behaviour Blind and Low Vision Deaf and Hard of Hearing Developmental Disability (DD) Giftedness Language Impairment Learning Disabilities (LD) Mild Intellectual Disabilities Multiple Exceptionalities Physical Disability Speech Impairment	Acquired Brain Injury Alcohol-Related Neuro-developmental Disorder (ARND) Angelman Syndrome Anxiety Disorders Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Auditory Processing Disorder (Central) Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Bipolar Disorder Blind/Vision Impaired Brain Injury Cerebral Palsy (CP) Conduct Disorder (CD) Concussions Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Deafness Depression Disorders Down Syndrome Eating Disorders Epilepsy Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAS/FAE) Fragile X Syndrome Gambling Disorder Intellectual Disabilities Klinefelter's Syndrome Learning Disabilities/Specific Learning Disorders Muscular Dystrophy (MD) Neurological Disabilities Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTS) Prader-Willi Syndrome Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) Seizure Disorders Selective Mutism Spina Bifida Tourette Syndrome Turner Syndrome (TS) Usher Syndrome William's Syndrome

Key Special Education Practices
Accommodations Alternative Programming Assistive Technology Board Special Education Plans Community Resources Differentiated Instruction Create an Inclusive & Positive Class Climate Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) Individual Education Plan (IEP) Ministry of Education Resources Modified Programming Non-teacher Professional Assessments Teacher Assessments Safety/Emergency/Crisis Response Plan Professional Development Reporting on IEP Progress Tracking/Documenting Transition Plans

Characteristics notebook pencil

Definitions:
Grief is the emotional response to loss and can be characterized by cycling through: sadness, shock, confusion, anger, denial, rage, disappointment, isolation, despair, fear and/or guilt. Grief can be triggered by the death of a loved one, a terminal diagnosis of a loved one, a traumatic event, like loss of a job, home or relationship and/or the separation of a family. Grief can be overwhelming at times for some and could lead to more serious mental health concerns like depression and/or substance abuse.

Mourning is the process of adapting to the changes that the loss has created. There is no normal time frame for grief and/or mourning after a loss and negative feelings could be triggered again by occasions/situations where the loss is remembered (birthdays, anniversary dates, special locations, etc.).

What it is

Grief management skills are positive ways of coping with loss and the associated negative feelings. Grief management skills can include: acknowledging emotions, being prepared for fluctuating emotions, understanding that the process is individualized, seeking out support from others, taking care of physical self, monitoring for depression.

Strategies

• Alert all school staff that works with the student to the situation, discuss at Student Success Meeting in secondary

• Be honest

• Listen

• Label and validate feelings

• Maintain a routine

• Consider establishing a special role for the student, like a class helper or a helper with younger students, in communication with parents/guardians

• Observe the student and communicate regularly with parents/guardians

• Encourage questions about death and managing grief feelings

• Connect student with available in-school supports (e.g.: Child and Youth Worker, Social Worker, Psychologist, Guidance Counsellor)

• Connect student and family with out of school supports (e.g.: local counselling agencies, grief centres/groups like Rainbows, Big Brothers/Sisters)

• Connect the student and family with available resources from the school library and/or websites

• Develop a plan with the student for location(s) in the school to go for support and/or breaks, possibly away from peers if preferred by grieving student

• Monitor student for signs of depression and/or maladaptive ways of coping (self-harm, substance abuse, eating disorders, etc.) and communicate with parents/guardians and other school support staff

• Directly ask and check in with the student on the supports and/or accommodations that they feel comfortable with on a regular basis as they will/can change over time

• Consider a pre-established check in day/time with the student

Teaching Strategies

Instructional

• Offer copies of notes
• Offer preferred students to partner with for group activities
• Reduce number of expectations
• Advance notice of changes to routine
• Advance notice of topics that could trigger emotions and offer alternatives (e.g.: making of Mother’s Day cards)
• Provide prompts to being and stay on task
• Provide 1:1 check in’s to ensure understanding of instructions
• Provide support to attain necessary resources for a task
• Provide examples/exemplars
• Chunk tasks into parts
• Provide frequent feedback, especially positive

Environmental

• Prearrange a safe location in the school for the student to go if/when feeling overwhelmed with emotions or unable to cope

• Offer preferred seating near supportive peers

• Offer sitting near the door or near the teacher, as the student prefers to increase comfort

• Support healthy eating

• Encourage physical activity

Assessment

• Consult with parents/guardians and support staff on what is reasonable to expect from the student during this time

• Give advance notice for tests/assignments/presentations/projects

• Provide a study sheet/materials to prepare for assessment

• Reduce number of items/quantity to be assessed

• Prompts to return the student’s attention to the task

• Check in’s to ensure understanding of the questions/task

• Breaks during the assessment

• Extended time limits

• Presentations made to just the teacher and/or small group instead of full class

• Defer tests/exams/presentations

• Exempt from test/exams

• Use other methods of assessment that are less stressful to the student (oral discussion, project)

• Consult with the school administration with regards to exams and options to maintain/earn credits

• Be sensitive around holidays like Mother’s/Father’s day and around the anniversary date of the passing of the loved one

• Consider a modified day as a transition for the student back to school

Teaching Strategies for Associated Student Needs:
• Aggression Management
• Anger/Frustration Management
• Anxiety Management
• Attendance Strategies
• Attention Skills
• Depression/Sadness Management
• Disengagement/Motivation Strategies
• Eating Disorder Strategies
• Emotional Regulation
• Mental Health Strategies
• Metacognitive Skills
• Organizational Skills
• Personal Care
• Personal Safety
• Self-Advocacy Skills
• Self-Esteem
• Self-Harm/Suicide Management
• Self-Regulatory Skills
• Substance Abuse Strategies
• Task Initiation

Resources

• 5 Tips for Supporting Student with Grief	• Assessing Grief: Tips for Teachers and Admin
• Bereavement 101 for Teachers Scroll down for links to videos and additional resources	• Greif Supports by Age of Student

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