Mental Health Strategies

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

Negative thinking, feelings, mood and reduced ability to relate to others.
• Often includes both internal (sad, anxious, withdrawn, lonely) and external (aggressive, impulsive, coercive, non-compliant) symptoms.
• Can result from biological causes (temperament, genetic influences, chemical imbalances), individual factors (coping skills, ways of thinking), early life experiences (loss, trauma, abuse) and/or life circumstances (poverty, significant stress).
• Tend to begin early (70% before age 18 and 50% before age 14).
• An estimated 20% of students may not achieve academic success and/or experience daily social and emotional pain.
• Positive mental health concepts include: connectedness, social emotional learning, resiliency, protective factors, mental fitness, diversity, positive youth development, strength-based perspectives, self-efficacy, acceptance and understanding

What it is

An area of student need involving an unsatisfactory psychological state, in terms of emotional, behavioural, physical and/or social well-being.

Strategies

• Be a caring adult and develop positive rapport with students.

• Use active listening.

• Be empathic and non-judgemental.

• Directly teach lessons on social and emotional skills.

• Work to reduce stigma of mental health issues with all students.

• Identify students who need increased support and communicate them to the school team.

• Involve community supports for whole class presentations.

• Be in frequent contact with parents, administration and other teachers.

• Enlist school counseling supports (Child and Youth Worker, Social Worker, Counselor, etc.).

• Be aware of increased risk taking behaviours and report to parents and school team.

• In a private setting, discuss your concerns with the students in a supportive and non-punitive way. Ask the student for ways that you can help.

• Consider developing an IEP Alternative Program Plan and set goals with the student and IEP team.

• Consider the development of and IEP Transition Plan to help reduce stress.

• Consider the development of an IEP with Accommodations for any instructional, environmental and/or assessment accommodations that may be helpful to reduce stress and support positive mental health for the student.

• Provide resources to the student and parent on counseling options (school and/or community).

• Provide choices in activities and use differentiated instruction.

• Provide opportunities for success and rewards for pro-social behaviours.

Resources

• ABC’s of Mental Health	• ABC’s of Mental Health: Mood Swings
• CAMH Talking About Mental Health: Teacher’s Resource	• Children’s Mental Health Ontario: Resources for Teachers
• Help Guide Just click the topics for a variety of information on mental health	• Kids Help Phone: Mental Health Info for Teens
• Learn to Be Healthy: Mental Health Lesson Plans, Games and Activities select mental health in menu to the left	• Lesson Ideas on Mental Health for K-12
• Mental Health Disorders: What they are and what to do	• Mental Health: Signs and Symptoms
• Ontario’s Safe and Caring Schools Resource	• Supporting Minds
• Teen Mental Health: Easy to use site with info for teachers and schools	• What Every Child Needs for Good Mental Health: Overview and Resource for Parents

Search form