Supporting our kids and their mental health can be challenging even in the best and most predictable of times. Recent months have brought a lot of unexpected challenges, new realities, as well as, opportunities. ACMH understands that access to quality information, as well as, tips to share information and support our kids through changing times is essential! So we are pleased to share the following resources from trusted community partners on today’s hot topics.

Talking to Kids About Covid-19 

• Tips for Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus  Child Mind Institute
• How to Explain Coronavirus to a Child with Anxiety ADHD Parenting ADDitude Magazine
• Supporting Our Kids During the Covid-19 Crisis Child Mind Institute
• Talking With Children About the Coronavirus   The Fred Rogers Center
• How to Talk About Coronavirus With Kids Understood.org
• Answering Your Child’s Questions During the Coronavirus from ZERO TO THREE
• Multilingual Coloring Book for Explaining Coronavirus from Mindheart
• Raising Healthy Teens Connecting During Covid-19

For additional Covid-19 information including Tips to Survive ‘Home-based Life’ during Covid-19 click here.

Talking to Kids About Race, Racism and Social Justice

EmbraceRace is an organization dedicated to Raising a Generation of Children Who Are Thoughtful, Informed, and Brave About Race. Like ACMH, EmbraceRace was founded by two parents (one Black, the other multiracial Black/White) who set out to create the community and share resources to meet the challenges they face raising children in a world where race matters – Visit their website to learn more or view some of the resources below:

• 16 ways to help children become thoughtful, informed, and BRAVE about race
• 10 tips for teaching and talking to kids about race
• 7 ways to support the young activists in your life!

How to Talk to Your Kids About Racism Video
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms takes questions along with CNN’s Van Jones and Erica Hill about how to combat racism, and shares a message with kids about how to make a change.

Raising Race Conscious Children Website has a lot of great resources including:

• 100 Race-Concious Things You Can Say To Your Child to Advance Racial Justice 

Anti-Racism For Kids 101: Starting To Talk About Race

How to Explain Racism to a Child – in 5 steps from Wiki-How to Do Anything

1. Educating Yourself About Racism
2. Laying a Foundation for Young Children
3. Addressing Racism with Elementary School Aged Kids
4. Talking to Pre-Teens and Teens About Racism
5. Helping Kids Respond to Acts of Racism

Sorry to hear your daughter is having trouble in school. Behavioral struggles can be very tiresome and stressful especially when we as parents are unsure of what we can do to help. Most children act out or get frustrated from time to time, which makes it especially challenging to decide when or if we should seek help. I am not a mental health professional, but looking at how often a behavior occurs, how long it lasts or the intensity of the mood or behavior can be helpful. If problems go on for more than a few weeks or interfere with your child’s ability to be successful at school, or make or develop friends, it may be a good idea to check in with someone to discuss your concerns.

A couple of good places to start would be your child’s pediatrician or family doctor who can also refer you to a mental health professional for an assessment if they feel that is warranted. Another option would be to talk with your child’s teacher or school about your concerns. They can also do an evaluation if you would like. More information about that process can be found by clicking here.

You can also find more information about what to do, who to ask, what to share, if you are concerned about your child’s mental health on our website by clicking here.

There are also some great resources online such as Childmind.org that have a lot of great information about children’s mental health and behavioral struggles which may also be helpful.

You are the expert on your child and know your her better than anyone, so I would follow your instincts and seek help if you think your child may need it.

Good luck to both of you and be sure to contact us if you need additional information or support! 

So sorry to hear your daughter is struggling. I am not a mental health professional but it sounds like it was a good idea to try to connect your daughter to a therapist regarding the issues you shared and sorry it was not helpful.

I know that for many families it sometimes takes trying a few different therapists before they find someone who is able to connect with and help their children. I don’t know if that is an option for your family or in your community but if it is it may be worth a try. If you need assistance figuring out how to connect to or find another therapist please feel free to contact us again.

The National Eating Disorders Association is a great organization that has a lot of information about kids who struggle with different issues related to eating, food and body image. You can find them online at: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org. They also have a  Helpline available Monday-Thursday from 9AM to 9PM ET, and Friday from 9AM to 5PM ET. You can contact the Helpline for support and resources by calling (800) 931-2237. They also have a Click-to-Chat option where you can speak with a live, trained Helpline volunteer by instant messaging if you prefer. For crisis situations you can text “NEDA” to 741741 to be connected with a trained volunteer at Crisis Text Line.

Please be sure to let me know if you are not able to access the information you need or if you would like additional assistance or support.  I will post your question on your website as you requested in case other families have advice you can use. Good luck to you and your daughter!

Dear Concerned Parent,

I am so glad to hear you feel your son is doing better since participating in the partial inpatient program. I know it can be quite a challenge to find the right educational environment to meet your child’s needs and I wish you luck in your search.

In regard to your concern about your son being ‘refused’ by schools it might be helpful to review the School of Choice Guidelines in the State School Aid Act (which outlines when and for what reasons a school district may refuse a school of choice application) if you are looking outside of your district of residence.

The school of choice guidelines can be viewed at the following link:

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(kyuk3ajwqbcn5b32kchwp1fz))/mileg.aspx?page=GetObject&objectname=mcl-388-1705c

If you instead choose to stay in the same district or cannot find another school for him to attend you could request that they revisit his IEP (I am assuming he has one) in order to put additional supports and services (including a positive behavior support plan if necessary) in place to help him be more successful this year.

If you need additional assistance, please feel free to call our toll free phone line at 888-2264543. Another resource that may be helpful is Michigan Alliance for Families which is the Michigan’s statewide Parent Training and Information Center who helps families of students involved in special education to better understand and navigate the education system. Their phone number is 1-800-552-4821 when you call that number their system will automatically route your call to a local Parent Mentor who can assist you. Their website also has many great resources- click here to check it out.

Good luck and please feel free to call if you need additional help!

 

 

 

 

 

Eligibility for special education services is determined by answering the following three questions:

• Does a child have a disability?
• Does that disability prevent the child from making effective progress at school?
• Does the child require specialized services in order to benefit from what is being taught at school?

It certainly sounds like your son’s disability may be affecting his ability to learn and be successful at school.

If your son’s challenges are getting to the level where the solution being suggested is to exclude him from school, I can understand why you are frustrated.

Listed below are some suggestions of what you might do next. Remember you know what is best for your child and the suggestions below may or may not be the direction you want to take. If you need additional support or suggestions please feel free to contact the ACMH office at 888-226-4543.

Once your child is found in-eligible for special education there are a variety of things you can do or steps you can take including:

1. Request that the school provide accommodations and supports through a 504 plan or other informal supports which can include a positive behavior plan and supports. To learn more about eligibility under Section 504 under the Rehabilitation Act click here and scroll down to the section regarding 504 plans.

2. Discuss your concerns about the decision/determination with the school and ask their help to know what to do next. As a part of a comprehensive evaluation for special education the MET or multidisciplinary evaluation team should have looked at all areas of functioning for your child including behavior. I am wondering if the school may have considered only one category of eligibility or possibly not considered or evaluated his behavior. Perhaps the team would be willing to take another look or conduct a functional behavioral assessment if one was not already conducted. Functional Behavior Assessments are evaluations and observations that seek to understand the child’s behaviors and why they do what they do. They also look at the interaction between a child and their environment. After a series of observations they make an informed hypothesis (or best guess) of why they think the behavior is occurring and then use the information to help create goals and strategies to try to positively change behavior.

3. Request an Independent Educational Evaluation or I.E.E. if you disagree with the evaluation or recommendations which found your child ineligible. This is basically like asking for a second opinion. If you are interested in requesting an I.E.E. you have to put your request in writing detailing why you disagree with the evaluation results or recommendations. The written notice you received from the school after your child was found ineligible should have outlined the things that were considered, the testing that was done and the reason the team found your child ineligible.  This information will be helpful to you as you write your written request. Once the school receives your request, they either have to approve it and share information about the process for accessing an Independent Educational Evaluation or I.E.E. or they have to request a due process hearing to show why they feel their evaluation results and recommendations are accurate. There is a video called After the Evaluation- Not Eligible -Now What? on the Michigan Alliance for Families website that provides much more detail about this process. You can link to it by clicking here.

4. Seek formal help to resolve the disagreement with the school by requesting mediation, filing a state complaint or requesting a due process hearing. When disagreements occur with the school it is always best to try to resolve the problem by speaking with your school team and sharing your concerns. However, if you are unable to work the issues out in this way, there are other more ‘formal’ options for resolving disagreements.  The notice you received when your child was found ineligible  should have been accompanied by information about procedural safeguards which outline the more  ‘formal’  processes/options you can take if you disagree with the school.

___________________

Bottom line: Your child has a right to attend school for the entire day and the school has a responsibility to support their needs so they are able to participate in school.

If your child is eligible for special education and/or if your child’s school is aware that he or she has a disability, there are limits to the school’s ability to suspend or exclude your child from school for behavior related to your child’s disability.

For more information regarding eligibility and the special education process, school discipline, suspension, expulsion and safeguards for students with disabilities and those receiving special education, you can click here to visit another area of the ACMH website or visit Michigan Alliance for Families website to get more information by clicking: http://www.michiganallianceforfamilies.org/education/discipline/

 

Answer: When you pick up your daughter up from school ask to speak to the principal and request that a meeting be scheduled with your IEP team to discuss the issue and to possibly adapt her behavior plan. Let the principal know that you are very concerned and want your child to be successful at school and not continue to have behavior issues at school. If the principal is not available or does not answer your request right away follow up with an written e-mail request.