Tag: Awareness

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Tips & Tricks :: Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar Disorder

This summer, I’ve writing a blog series focusing on several different disorders that affect children at school: ADHD, Autism, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Anxiety Disorder, and ODD. Each entry will describe the disorder, give practical strategies for improving success at school, and also a few social-emotional goals and accommodations that might be appropriate for students with special education services!

Next up is Bipolar Disorder. Although mostly diagnosed in teens or adults, many more children are now receiving diagnoses of Bipolar Disorder, so it is becoming more and more common in school settings. In bipolar disorder, people experience abnormally elevated (manic or hypomanic) mood states which interfere with the functions of ordinary life. Many people with bipolar disorder also experience periods of depressed mood, but not always. Diagnosing bipolar disorder is often difficult, even for mental health professionals. In particular, it can be difficult to distinguish depression caused by bipolar disorder from pure unipolar depression or other disorders. I’ve even had kids that actually really had Autism be given an ADHD/Bipolar Disorder combo before being correctly identified!

Symptoms:

Rear View of Boy Leaping into AirMania Episodes – 

  • Elevated or irritable mood or euphoria
  • Increased energy or decreased need for sleep
  • Distractibility
  • Fast speech
  • Thoughts appear to be “racing”
  • Impaired judgement sometimes leading to risky or impulsive behavior
  • Breaks with reality (sometimes)

Hypomania Episodes – 

  • Mild to moderate states of mania
  • Increased energy and activity levels
  • Often feels good to the person experiencing it
  • Less interference with functioning, compared to manic episodes
  • Symptoms generally last a few weeks to a few months (but can be shorter or longer)

Depressive Episodes –

  • Persistant feelings of sadness, anxiety, guilt, isolation, or hopelessness
  • Changes in sleeping patterns
  • Changes in appetite
  • Loss of interest in previously-enjoyed activities
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Suicidal thoughts or actions
  • Symptoms usually last several weeks to months if left untreated

Suggestions:

  • Contact the child’s doctor if medication is to be given at school to make sure you have up-to-date dosage and administration instructions. However, don’t tell a parent “your child needs to be on medication.” You can encourage them to talk about concerns they may have with their child’s doctor, but put your school in a vulnerable position if you start doling out medical advice!
  • Encourage the student to get involved in extra curricular or sports activities in order to boost their confidence and self-esteem
  • Keep routines and schedules structured and predictable so the student will know what to expect
  • Feelings PosterTeach students what different emotions “feel like” to their body to help them identify when they may be entering periods of (hypo)mania or depression
  • Improve students’ vocabulary of various emotion words to express their feelings to others
  • Provide visual reminders of behavioral expectations such as pictures of rules posted on their desk, behavioral charts, etc., or have students act out rules.
  • Teach relaxation strategies or other calming techniques for students to use during times of (hypo)mania or when upset or angry.
  • Provide a “cool down” or break area with stress balls or other activities, as well as visual reminders of learned relaxation and calming skills.
  • If parents approve, teach older students facts about what Bipolar Disorder is as well as statistics about the disorder to help normalize their experiences and help them feel less “weird” or “different.”
  • Provide group or individual counseling-type services to help students combat several types of irrational thinking seen during times of depression. If you need materials, check out this Positive Thinking Pack.

Sample Goals

  • Given small group practice, Mallory will improve her classroom performance from requiring frequent redirection to independently remaining in her seat and following directions with no adult prompting.
  •  Given behavior training, James will improve his behavior in the hallway from running and bumping into others to keeping his hands to himself, maintaining appropriate personal space, and following verbal directions with minimal adult prompting.
  •  Given relaxation training, Max will improve his emotional regulation skills from yelling and becoming physically aggressive when upset to taking deep breaths, relaxing tense muscles, and moving to a quiet place when upset with no more than 1 adult prompt.
  • Given instruction regarding Bipolar Disorder, Sarah will increase her knowledge of Bipolar Disorder from not knowing any Hourglassinformation about it to listing facts regarding prevalence, symptoms, and treatment independently.

Sample Accommodations:

  • Provide a private, quiet place for calming down when irritated or over-excited
  • Allow students to use cue cards or other visual tools to express their feelings if they struggle with verbal expression
  • Give breaks or extended time if you can tell the student is struggling to focus

If you’re looking for activities for your students, check out my Dealing with Anger Activity Pack, Anger and Coping Skills Bingo, and Social Skills Cards: Feelings Pack Freebie! You can also check out my Pinterest Boards for Feelings, Anger Management, and Mental Health for even more ideas!

Thanks to Wikipedia for contributing to this article!

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Tips & Tricks :: Autism

Autism

This summer, I’ve writing a blog series focusing on several different disorders that affect children at school: ADHD, Autism, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Anxiety Disorder, and ODD. Each entry will describe the disorder, give practical strategies for improving success at school, and also a few social-emotional goals and accommodations that might be appropriate for students with special education services!

This time, I’ll be talking about Autism. Once a completely unknown disorder, Autism is now becoming one of the most common disorders for which students receive Special Education services. Current statistics suggest that approximately 1 out of every 88 children (1 in 54 boys) will be diagnosed with Autism (although that’s likely an undercount – especially for populations of color and in girls).

In the past, Autism has one of the five pervasive developmental disorders, which are characterized by widespread abnormalities of social interactions and communication, and severely restricted interests and highly repetitive behavior. Other PDD’s include Rett Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Asperger Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder – no otherwise specified.

The diagnosis of Autism covers a wide spectrum, from people requiring a lot of support in their daily life to others with minimal support needs. Every child is unique. Some individuals with Autism only display a few of these characteristics, while others exhibit nearly all of them. Also, some of the following symptoms can also be characteristic of other disorders as well such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, ADHD, or Cognitive Impairments. Autism is characterized by a range or behaviors or impairments in each of the following areas, not a single trait.

Symptoms:

Social Development –

  • Pay less attention to social stimuli
  • Don’t smile and look at others often
  • Little to no response to their own name
  • Less eye contact than their same-aged peers
  • Exhibit social understanding
  • Impaired ability to imitate and respond to emotions
  • Delayed language or absent verbal expressive communication
  • Difficulty expressing wants and needs in socially appropriate ways

Repetitive Behavior –

  • Frequent hand flapping, head rolling, or body rocking
  • Compulsive behavior that appears to follow strict rules, such as arranging objects in stacks or lines
  • Resistance to change
  • Ritualistic behavior involving unvarying patterns of activities
  • Restricted behavior that is very limited in focus, interest, or activity, such as preoccupation with a single TV show, toy, game, or subject
  • Self-Injurious behaviors such as eye poking, skin picking, hand biting, or head banging
  • Echolalia, or repeating words or phrases said by others

Other Symptoms that are sometimes found in students with Autism –

  • Sensory abnormalities such as overreacting to loud noises or bright lights
  • Deficits in motor coordination
  • Unusual eating behaviors such as extreme avoidance or preference for certain foods
  • Extraordinary talent or “splinter skills” in one particular area
  • Unusual speech habits, such as referring to themselves in the 3rd person past the normal developmental time for doing so
  • Frequent meltdowns

Suggestions:

Before I go on, I would like to point out that since I am a social worker, my suggestions will focus on interventions to use in a school or home setting. There are many other interventions out there ranging from medications to dietary changes, but I am not an expert in that area, so I won’t be addressing them! On to things to use at home or school:

  • Encourage the student to get involved in extra curricular or sports activities in order to boost their confidence and self-esteem
  • Keep routines and schedules structured and predictable so the student will always know what to expect
  • Provide a way to communicate (ranging from full communication systems to break cards if they need to leave a situation)
  • Try a visual schedule. These can be made out of paper and pictures, or you can try one of the several apps for iPads or Droid devices.
  • Provide visual reminders of behavioral expectations such as pictures of rules posted on their desk, behavioral charts, etc., or have students act out rules. Simply yelling a student the rules over and over won’t work!
  • Color-code materials for different subjects throughout the day to help with organization
  • Provide a “cool down” or break area with stress balls or other sensory toys, as well as visual reminders of how to calm down
  • Allow students to leave assemblies if noise is too stimulating or to sit in quieter areas to eat lunch
  • Use a visual transition timer before transitioning to a new activity
  • Use social stories and or other social skills curriculum to teach appropriate social interaction regulation skills
  • Talk to other students about disabilities. Since students with Autism have impaired social functioning, they are often excluded from social groups. While being mindful of confidentiality issues, have discussions in your classroom about student differences and explaining that some disabilities are more visible, while others can be more hidden. Be especially watchful for bullying.
  • Collaborate with social workers, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, or physical therapists to be sure all student needs are being addressed

Sample Goals

  • Given small group practice, Mallory will improve her classroom performance from requiring frequent redirection to independently remaining in her seat and following directions.
  • Given social skills training, Joey will increase his ability to recognize emotions in others from being unable to label any emotions to correctly identifying happy, sad, mad, and scared in others independently.
  • Given a social skills curriculum, Hannah will increase her conversation skills from answering questions from peers with 1 or 2 words to answering with a full sentence with no prompts.
  • Given social skills training, Sarah will increase conversation skills with peers from ignoring others to starting, maintaining, and ending appropriate conversations with 2 adult prompts.

Sample Accommodations:

timers

  • Break work into smaller pieces
  • Allow extended time for assignments as well as frequent breaks which give the student a chance to get up and move
  • Don’t allow students to “pick their own groups.” Either assign them, or allow independent work.
  • Provide sensory items, swings, or other tools to meet student’s sensory needs
  • Present material in visual ways
  • Allow students who struggle with organizing their writing to dictate assignments, or record their verbal answers and then write them down

I’ve posted this before, but Ellen Notbohm offers some great thoughts to keep things in perspective when you’re working with students with Autism here. And if you’re looking for activities for your students, check out my Social Skills Activities for Girls and Boys and my 180 Social Skills Cards: The Ultimate Pack! You can also check out my Pinterest Board especially for all things Autism for even more ideas!

Thanks to Wikipedia for contributing to this article!

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Tips & Tricks :: ADHD

ADHD

During this summer, I’m going to be starting a blog series focusing on several different disorders that affect children at school: ADHD, Autism, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Anxiety Disorder, and ODD. Each entry will describe the disorder, give practical strategies for improving success at school, and also a few social-emotional goals and accommodations that might be appropriate for students with special education services! I hope that you’ll join me!

First up is ADHD. Short for Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD is a psychiatric or neurobehavioral disorder. Students with ADHD often have significant difficulties in either attention (inattentive type), hyperactivity and impulsiveness (hyperactivity/impulsivity type), or both (combined type). While the actual rates of diagnosis of ADHD differ by geographic location, socioeconomic status, and doctor, school professionals tend to agree that it is one of the most common disorders they encounter in working with children.

Symptoms:

Inattentive Type –Inattention

  • Be easily distracted, miss details, forget things, and frequently switch from one activity to another
  • Have difficulty maintaining focus on one task
  • Become bored with a task after only a few minutes, unless doing something enjoyable
  • Have difficulty focusing attention on organizing and completing a task or learning something new or trouble completing or turning in homework assignments, often losing things (e.g., pencils, toys, assignments) needed to complete tasks or activities
  • Not seem to listen when spoken to
  • Daydream, become easily confused, and move slowly
  • Have difficulty processing information as quickly and accurately as others
  • Struggle to follow instructions.

ADHDHyperactive-Impulsive Type –

  • Fidget and squirm in their seats
  • Talk nonstop
  • Dash around, touching or playing with anything and everything in sight
  • Have trouble sitting still during dinner, school, and story time
  • Be constantly in motion
  • Have difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities
  • Be very impatient
  • Blurt out inappropriate comments, show their emotions without restraint, and act without regard for consequences
  • Have difficulty waiting for things they want or waiting their turns in games

Suggestions:

Sports

  • Encourage the student to get involved in extra curricular or sports activities in order to boost their confidence and self-esteem
  • Keep routines and schedules structured and predictable so the student will always know what to expect
  • Try a visual schedule. This can be made out of paper and pictures, or you can try one of the several apps for iPads or Droid devices.
  • Provide visual reminders of behavioral expectations such as pictures of rules posted on their desk, behavioral charts, etc., or have students act out rules. Simply yelling a student the rules over and over probably won’t work!
  • Morning RoutineColor-code materials for different subjects throughout the day to help with organization
  • Develop a private nonverbal signal you can use to correct minor student behavior
  • Provide verbal and visual warnings about 5 minutes and 1 minute before transitioning to a new activity
  • Change the way students are called on to avoid calling on students one at a time and having everyone else get bored. Instead, have students respond by “telling their partner,” writing down, or drawing their response.
  • Provide notebook organizers or other graphic organizers
  • Try music, either through headphones for 1 student or for the entire class. Sometimes students actually NEED noise in order to focus.

Sample Goals

  • Given small group practice, Mallory will improve her classroom performance from requiring frequent redirection to independently remaining in her seat and following directions.
  • Given behavior training, Michael will improve his behavior in the hallway from from running and  bumping into others to keeping his hands to himself, maintaining appropriate personal space, and following verbal directions with minimal adult prompting.
  • Given small group practice, Carrie will improve her attention skills from working with frequent redirection for 5 minutes to remaining in her desk, following directions, and asking for help when needed for 10 minutes with no adult prompts.
  • Given small group intervention, Austin will improve his cognitive organization skills from being unable to discuss any information from a story to creating and filling in graphic organizers for putting events in order, comparing and contrasting, and organizing details from a story with no more than 1 adult prompt.

Sample Accommodations:

  • Break work into smaller piecesTangles-300x300
  • Allow extended time for assignments  as well as frequent breaks which give the student a chance to get up and move (all kids benefit from this!)
  • Provide different types of fidgets to keep their hands busy and help improve focus (exercise bands tied to desks work well too!)
  • Teach students who to use and create graphic organizers to learn and apply new information
  • Allow students who struggle with organizing their writing to dictate assignments, or record their verbal answers and then write them down

If you’re looking for hands-on activities for your students, check out my Organization Activities for Students with ADHD and my Graphic Organizer Pack! You can also check out my Pinterest Board especially for all things ADD/ADHD for even more ideas!

Thanks to Wikipedia for contributing to this article!