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A place to find material for guidance, and tools to help us help others.

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A cairn is a gathering of stones, often used to mark trails across landscapes where the path might easily be lost. Sometimes cairns are used to mark sacred places, burial sites, or simply a place that someone has found remarkable. Each and every day we encounter cairns as we journey through life; they are the people and the moments that orient us to our truest selves and the fullest life.

This site is meant to be a cairn for school counselors. A place to find material for guidance, and tools to help us help others.

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A cairn is a gathering of stones, often used to mark trails across landscapes where the path might easily be lost. Sometimes cairns are used to mark sacred places, burial sites, or simply a place that someone has found remarkable.

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Paper Fortune Tellers for Exploring Upset Emotions 

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Paper Fortune Tellers for Exploring Upset Emotions 

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The Region 13 Middle School Counseling Binder is a resource for all middle counselors within the region. It is continuously updated to offer the newest and most relevant information available to our counselors. Please email any questions and/or suggestions to: Tisha.Kolek@esc13.txed.net

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The Region 13 High School Counseling Binder is a resource for all high school counselors within the region. It is continuously updated to offer the newest and most relevant information available to our counselors. Please email any questions and/or suggestions to: Tisha.Kolek@esc13.txed.net

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Believe In You Digital Empowerment Journals - Varsity Brands

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Believe In You | Empowerment Program | Speaking Tour | BIY Video Series | Professional Learning Varsity Brands provides FREE access to all Empowerment Program

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Gratitude is defined as the feeling or expression of thankfulness and appreciation toward yourself, others, people, places, or things. In the US, Thanksgiving is the main holiday that celebrates gratitude and encourages us to be appreciative. However, gratitude is not something we should just express on Thanksgiving. We should share our gratitude all year long.

Teaching Gratitude

Gratitude isn't always an emotion that everyone is able to express. Students may need direction and guidance from you when it comes to discussing gratitude. Studies show that when students practice expressing their feelings, they have higher levels of optimism, increased life satisfaction, and decreased negative feelings. Additionally, students who regularly express gratitude appreciate close relationships and feel better about their life and school.

Activities

Below are a few simple ideas that you can use to teach students about gratitude and to practice giving thanks.

Alphabet Gratitude

Have your students write each letter of the alphabet and try to come up with at least one item they are grateful for under each letter. This ABC Chart Google Doc template would be perfect to share with your students. To extend this activity, students can choose a few words from their list to write a poem or short story.

Gratitude Jar

A gratitude jar is the perfect way to help students think about and recognize the things they have to be thankful for. The idea behind the jar is for students to write down something they are grateful for on a piece of paper and place it in the jar. Then, on a specified date, students can draw out and share. This activity is a great way for them to focus on positive things. You can make the jar a part of your regular classroom routine or you can have students jot down things as they think of them.

If you aren't able to create and have an actual jar in your classroom, you can always use a digital jar. Check out this gratitude jar Google Drawing template that I created. Students can fill their jar own jar throughout the year.

Bitmoji Bulletin Board

Bitmoji virtual classrooms are all the rage right now. So why not create a bitmoji bulleting board. You could call it a "board of thanks." Encourage your students to express their appreciation by sharing things, people, places, events, etc. that they are thankful for. You can then "pin" these to the board to create a powerful visual for your students. Katania Trudeau creates thankful rooms for her classrooms. Check out her bitmoji templates here. In addition, be sure to check out Jeanine Mele's virtual room focused on gratitude.

Gratitude Journal

With this activity, encourage your students to keep a journal so they can express what they are grateful for. They can write daily or weekly for a few minutes. You can also give students writing prompts such as "I am thankful for . . ." Students may want to draw pictures as well. The journals can be kept private or shared with the class.

The Thankful Tree

This collaborative activity allows students to list what they are thankful for by placing leaves on a tree. This Google Slide template was created by Madeline Martinez, who assigned one slide to each student in her class. She then created a Thankful ebook out of the slides.

Gratitude Gram

This last activity is one for you, the teacher. Model thankfulness by sending gratitude grams to your students, parents, or colleagues. This template created by Dawn Killiany is an example of what she sends to her students.

Being thankful is a trait that we can choose to instill in our students. If you would like to explore additional Social and Emotional skills, be sure to check out TCEA's online, self-paced Social and Emotional online course. Priced at just $29, the course features seven modules designed to help your students understand their own self-awareness, build positive relationships, make responsible decisions, and more. Enroll today!

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Gratitude is defined as the feeling or expression of thankfulness and appreciation toward yourself, others, people, places, or things. In the US, Thanksgiving is the main holiday that celebrates gratitude and encourages us to be appreciative. However, gratitude is not something we should just express on Thanksgiving.

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Dicebreakers and Activity Debriefing Templates 

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Dicebreakers and Activity Debriefing Templates 

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If you're needing to bring people together in a new situation, then ice breakers are one way to do that. If you're wanting to encourage self-assessment and reflection, entry and exit tickets can work wonders. But a different type of icebreaker and reflection tool can also be handy: the dicebreaker and the dice debrief.

Dice Activities as Icebreakers

You may already know that icebreakers are great tools. You can find TCEA's ebook, Digital Icebreakers That Shatter, for free online. And, of course, a TechNotes collection of blog entries explores various icebreaker activities.

An NCBI study reveals that icebreaker activities:

Encourage participants to bond and form a new team

Get people from different backgrounds to meet

Invite others to become involved with learning about new subject matter

Help the group leader become acquainted with the participants and interpersonal interactions within the group

Yield observed information on the group's dynamics, which can assist group leaders in tailoring lessons to group needs

How Dicebreakers Work

View or get your own copy of these graphics via Google Slides.

The process for setting up a dicebreaker is simple:

1. Since the printed dot count ranges from one to six, assign each number of dots an activity or question for a total of six.

2. Pass out or share a die with each group of students. If using stations, you can place a die at each station, then have students roll that die upon arriving.

3. When students roll a number, they share their coordinating response with others at the station or in the group.

Consider using a dicebreaker grid like the one shown below. Rachael Mann (@RachaelEdu) shared a similar version that inspired this recreation via Twitter. She suggests using VirtuWorld.net's Roll an Online Die for this. "I do not know who to credit for the ice breaker grid," Rachael says.

I've taken the liberty of remaking it with modifications.

Here's one example of dicebreakers in action:

View on Twitter

Dice Activities for Self-Judgement and Reflection

You can use dice debriefing activities as entry or exit tickets, for example, to engage students in self-judgement and reflection. Known as self-judgment, research has shown its importance as it enjoys an effect size of 0.75 (as of John Hattie's latest research). Self-judgement and reflection have the potential to "considerably accelerate" student achievement. It is proven effective when students self-assess knowledge before learning and then reflect and self-evaluate for understanding post-learning.

Connect with Elizabeth Vanderveen Heinrich. Inside-Outside Circle twist on the @TCEA Dicebreaker warm-up activity. Transitions back from holiday break and getting everyone talking is a win. Special thanks to teacher Elizabeth Vanderveen Heinrich - Source: https://tinyurl.com/tceadbe1

There are several strategies you can take advantage of in the classroom. Each can make self-judgement and reflection a daily occurrence, even routine, and you can use dice debrief activities to engage students this way.

Dice Debrief Questions

Here are a few debrief questions you can use in a dice debrief:

What did you learn today?

Why does what you learned matter?

List three big ideas you got out of today's lesson.

What process did you go through today? Did it work? Why or why not?

What resources (e.g. books, websites) did you use today?

Did what you write or make meet your goals?

How do you feel about your work today? Why?

What would you change or do differently?

Additionally, such activities work well as entry tickets when you ask questions like:

What do you think we'll be learning about today?

What do you already know about this topic?

What areas would you like to learn more about?

What predictions (or guesses) can you make about what you will be learning today?

How do you feel about this subject?

What are some areas you might need help in?

You can also adapt ideas from this blog entry on bell ringers. How could you adapt exit tickets for this fun variation?

There are many different ways to approach dice debrief. Stephanie Howell (@mrshowell24) shared one way in this Google Doc. She offers this video:

For fun, I took a stab at making a few templates of dice debriefs as well. Thanks for the inspiration, Stephanie!

4th graders learning more about each other and kicking off fitness class with "dicebreakers." Special thanks to OJR Elementary Health and PE. Source: https://tinyurl.com/tceadbe2

Need More Inspiration?

You may have found these templates useful, but there are many more online. A Roll and Respond list of questions caught my eye. It included questions such as:

What are you looking forward to?

What are you looking forward to doing?

If you could spend an hour with someone, who would it be?

If you could have something to help, what would it be?

How would you describe this idea to an alien from outer space?

How is this the same or different?

Find some more ideas in this Wakelet collection, Dicey Learning.

Dicey Learning: A Wakelet Collection
BONUS Activity: Roll a Story

You can also use dice to incite and guide creative writing. Create your own Roll a Story like the one below:

Why don't you give making your own dicebreakers or dice debriefs a go? Do you have any other ideas or ways you've used dice in your classroom? Please share with us in the comments, and if you try any of the activities mentioned today, let me know how it goes.

The header graphic was made with Sketchpad. Get the file via this , save, and open via the Sketchpad website.

But, Wait, There's More!

Several of you have taken the DiceBreakers/Debrief templates and made your own. Below, you will find a few that have been shared:

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Dicebreakers and Activity Debriefing Templates

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If you're needing to bring people together in a new situation, then ice breakers are one way to do that. If you're wanting to encourage self-assessment and reflection, entry and exit tickets can work wonders. But a different type of icebreaker and reflection tool can also be handy: the dicebreaker and the dice debrief.

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Six activities to promote kindness with your students 

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Six activities to promote kindness with your students 

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Teaching students the value of kindness is so very important because it can have powerful effects. Not only does kindness bring joy to others, but it can also reduce our own anxiety. In fact, studies have shown being kind boosts your serotonin, eases anxiety, and can lower blood pressure, which is good for your heart. Some examples of kindness include a thoughtful gesture, a compliment, an offer of help, even something as simple as a smile. Encourage students to spread kindness wherever they go with these simple activities.

1. Start a Conversation about Kindness

In this activity by Centervention, you will help your students understand how kindness benefits everyone. In the first part of the activity, start a conversation with your students about kind words and why we should use them. Then have your student brainstorm kind words to use when communicating with others. In the second part, help students translate their ideas into action by brainstorming acts of kindness and creating notes to brighten someone's day.

2. Set Up an Appreciation Station

In her blog post, Kerri Beauchesne writes about how she invited her students to write kind notes to school staff at an appreciation station. The appreciation station can be set up in the school cafeteria or other areas of the school where students can drop by to write notes. The notes can then be collected and distributed to staff members on special days like Teacher Appreciation Week, National Custodian Day, or School Bus Driver Appreciation Day.

3. Create a Kindess Collage

Creating a kindness collage is a part of Google's Applied Digital Skills curriculum. This video walks students through how to create a collage using Google Drawings. The collage can be about a classmate, teacher, or something positive that shows kindness. The image can then be downloaded and shared.

4. Implement a Kindness Challenge

Empower your students to create a culture of kindness by challenging them to do kind things. They can do kind things for others, kind things for themselves, or kind things for the Earth. As mentioned in this , students can list the kind things they have done on this Kindness Challenge Jamboard. They can also be given paper hearts to write down acts of kindness they performed. The hearts can then be used to create a tree of kindness display.

5. Incorporate Friendly Fridays

As stated in this article by Elizabeth Peterson, "Sometimes Fridays can be tough, especially in the afternoon when everyone is ready for the weekend." After trying a few ideas over the years, from continuing with curriculum content to giving free time, she finally decided to incorporate Friendly Fridays. During Friendly Friday time, her students do something creative to promote kindness. Check out the video below for ways she promotes kindness through Friendly Fridays.

6. Encourage Positive Self-Talk

We can't be kind to others if we aren't first kind to ourselves. The words we speak or think to ourselves are self-talk. Positive self-talk encourages us and helps us fight negative emotions and thought patterns. This not only helps us build confidence, but it also shows us that caring about ourselves is important. Like the concept of a gratitude jar, students can create a jar of positive affirmations. With this activity, students put positive affirmations in a jar. Then they pull one out daily to be reminded of how truly special they are.

For more kindness activities that promote social-emotional learning, be sure to check out these blog posts.

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Six Activities to Promote Kindness with Your Students

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Teaching students the value of kindness is so very important because it can have powerful effects. Not only does kindness bring joy to others, but it can also reduce our own anxiety. In fact, studies have shown being kind boosts your serotonin, eases anxiety, and can lower blood pressure, which is good for your heart.

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Ever wish you had an easy-to-follow checklist when designing learning for students? I know I have...often. Some of my colleagues effortlessly design amazing lessons, but I have to plod through each point. But lesson design is something that is critical to ultimate success in the classroom for each student. That's why I'd like to take a moment to share my latest version of the outline I use. You can also explore this choice board organized with the outline in mind:

As you work through this list, ask yourself, "What schema or plan do I follow?" If you show me your district's mandated lesson plan format, well, that may not get the job done. At the end of this blog entry, I'll share a heuristic, a Google Doc, that you can use. I like it because it combines many resources in one place and works to help you more efficiently plan your lesson design.

For now, let's work through the major components of my Amazing Lesson Design Outline (ALDO). Ready? Let's get started.

Did You Know?

Robert M. Gagne's Theory of Instruction (1965) offers some suggestions worth revisiting. He divides instruction into nine events. Those events include 1) Gaining attention; 2) Informing learners of objectives; 3) Stimulating recall of prior learning; 4) Presenting the stimulus; 5) Providing learning guidance; 6) Eliciting performance; 7) Providing feedback; 8) Assessing performance; and, 9) Enhancing retention and transfer. You might also enjoy Mike Schmoker's Focus: Elevating the Essentials visual or Madeline Hunter's version. Some prefer the Gradual Release Model. When considering amazing lesson design, it's important to remember this is well-traveled ground. Find what inspires you.

1 - Relationships First: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Connections

"Teachers must place a strong emphasis on rigor, relevance, but most of all, on developing relationships with children," says Dr. Asa Hiliard, former Director of Urban Studies at Georgia State University. I've seen this firsthand. Let me share that with you.

Watching my wife, a masterful second grade teacher, you'd never guess she had an outline. Her lesson design first includes building powerful relationships with her students. It has her finding out what TV shows they like, what they like to eat, their life story, and building connections through an ongoing conversation with her class. She focuses in to connect academic content to specific students. Her approach leaves me in awe. When she asks her students to get to work, they do. When it's time to behave, they do.

The first part of my lesson design outline? It's build relationships. As Dr. James Comer (Yale University) says:

No significant learning can occur without a significant relationships of mutual respect, teacher to student.

"Brain-based learning can positively impact student motivation, attitudes and academic achievement," say researchers. Without relationships, students won't trust what you have to say. Absent powerful relationships between students, you have no community. And that would be a tragedy because of the next step.

2 - Assessment

As coaches and teachers, we have to, as Dr. John Hattie says, "Know our impact." If you don't know where students are, you will be unable to give them feedback on future growth. Worse, students won't be able to self-regulate their own learning when given feedback. Students have to be clear on what they are to know and do. They have to know where they stand in their own learning relevant to growth.

To gauge where students are in their learning, you need to assess them before, during, and after. And those assessments can be low-stakes. They can tie into a wide variety of strategies that are proven to work, including retrieval practice and spaced vs massed practice. They can also rely on a wide variety of digital tools designed for that purpose.

Tip: You may want to use the SOLO Taxonomy to chart student growth. Learn more about SOLO via this blog entry.

3 - Teaching and Learning

The first step for those savvy with brain-based learning research is to engage students. Once you have figured how to best engage students, give thought to another question.

"What high-impact approaches align to the learning intention?" That's a question that kept me up and reading. How can we align effective, evidence-based strategies to students' learning needs? You can find a variety of evidence-based, high-effect size strategies that you can use at the best time.

Remember, only rely on one strategy at a time. For example, don't try to put in place two teaching strategies like direct instruction and flipped classroom. Pick one. The same for students. Avoid trying to teach students to do concept mapping and outlining at the same time. Focus on one until you and your students can do it really well.

Social Media Response to ALDO

Thanks to those of you on social media who have shared ALDO with others. Here's what some of you are saying:

Fantastic visual representation of the stages of learning and using a critical lense when creating lesson experiences! I can't wait to use this with our new Ts as they continue to deepen their thinking abt. teaching/learning. Thx! via Meg Burke

Thank you for this wonderful resource! I'm definitely sharing it with my teachers! After having a coaching conversation this morning with a teacher about her PBL lessons, this is a great resource for deep and transfer teaching/learning with intentional design. TY via Myla Lee

The "Amazing Lesson Design Outline" (ALDO) created by Miguel Guhlin @mguhlin for @TCEA features mountains of terrific teaching strategies intuitively organized. Wow! https://bit.ly/3A99v6M via Todd Finley

Great distinction between Surface, Deep, and Transfer Learning. via LanguageTeachingLab

course. Get a guided introduction to Hattie's work via the TCEA Strategies That Work courses. What's more, you get powerful videos, a $49 TCEA membership, and CPE hours for the same or less than buying a book. You have fifteen courses to choose from, including the latest Evidence-Based Teaching

The Evidence-Based Teaching course provides a detailed walkthrough of the Amazing Lesson Design Outline (ALDO), including the research underpinnings. It's the perfect way to introduce your instructional coaches, teachers, and administrators to research that works. Participants earn 12 CPE hours, a digital badge, and certificate upon completion.

4 - Assess and Gauge Progress

As you did in Step Two, take a moment to re-assess students. Discover where they are in relation to the learning objective(s). You can rely on existing goals.

A Cry for Help: I Can't Form an Online Community

An email request for help came in the other day. My diagnosis? The teachers had not put in place (yet) what they needed to create a sense of community. As a result, it made everything they tried to do difficult. My prescription? Intensify relationship-building efforts with teachers and students. Also, put into place the following tips:

1- Model for teachers social and emotional learning opportunities for virtual classroom use appropriate for the middle school students.

2- Set up criteria, such as a rubric, not as a staff assessment but, for a self-assessment checklist teachers can use when planning lessons. That checklist is the Amazing Learning Design Outline (ALDO) that appears later in this blog entry.

3-Adapt evidence-based strategies to support instruction. For example, this includes direct instruction, jigsaw for introducing concepts and ideas, classroom discussion and/or reciprocal teaching for digging deeper, problem-based teaching, and self-reported grades. Remember, use only one strategy at a time depending on the learning intention.

4-Implement coaching for results. I like Diane Sweeney's model and suggest you explore the Coaching for Results series (Parts Three, Four, and Five are relevant here). Diane Sweeney has a handy one-pager that is designed to assist coaches with teacher work. It incorporates formative assessments, including entry/exit tickets.

5 - Reflect

Make sure to take some time to reflect on what worked and what did not for both you and your students. What role did technology play in enhancing teaching and learning? You might also ask yourself, What could I do differently next time? How can I assist students in becoming more metacognitive about their own learning experience?

Remember that reflection isn't only for you as the teacher. It is also for students to engage in.

Get ALDO, the Amazing Lesson Design Outline

Ready to get the ALDO? Keep it by your side as you are planning a lesson or preparing activities. The links to digital tools and resources will soon become gateways to new ideas.

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Meet ALDO: Amazing Lesson Design Outline

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Ever wish you had an easy-to-follow checklist when designing learning for students? I know I have...often. Some of my colleagues effortlessly design amazing lessons, but I have to plod through each point. But lesson design is something that is critical to ultimate success in the classroom for each student.

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Virtual School Counseling Resource Guide 

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Virtual School Counseling Resource Guide 

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Virtual School Counseling Resource Guide

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Sharing ideas and resources with those who are passionate about school counseling.

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In response to the recent developments due to SkillsCommons and MERLOT have created this FREE online resource to help both Teachers and Students prepare to start teaching and learning online.

Free Teaching and Learning Online Materials

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In response to the recent developments due to SkillsCommons and MERLOT have created this FREE online resource to help both Teachers and Students prepare to start teaching and learning online. Free Teaching and Learning Online Materials

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Bitmoji Virtual Rooms (Curated by Rebecca Pianta)

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CSWD - Suggested Technology for Virtual Counseling (1)

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Great resource for all things counselor in Texas!

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Great resource for all things counselor in Texas!

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Jory John has added another awesome title to his food pun collection, and I am a big fan! I find that these books work best with my second graders. This book focuses on humility, empathy, and sportsmanship - things all my students can benefit from. Keep reading to find The Big Cheese activities I'll be using in my counseling lessons! The Big Cheese Activities Hook To start off, I want all of my students to share something they are really [...]

Continue Reading

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School Counseling Blog: Looking for fresh ideas for your school counseling program? You're in the right place! You'll love these interactive, engaging, effective ideas for your classroom guidance lessons, individual sessions, and small group counseling programs!

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75 free school counseling resources for bullying, grief, kindness, LGBTQ, mindfulness, social emotional learning, trauma, and more from Speckled Moose Counseling.

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school counseling; technology; solution focused

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Dr. Russell A. Sabella is currently a Professor in the Department of Counseling, Florida Gulf Coast University and President of Sabella & Associates. Learn more by visiting https://about.me/sabella

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To better serve Texans seeking mental or behavioral health assistance, the Statewide Behavioral Health Coordinating Council is launching its redesigned Mental Health Texas website, mentalhealthtx.org, linking people to available local resources in one website.

This online resource is available for people seeking mental health and substance use disorder services, crisis hotline numbers, local mental health authorities, as well as information about common behavioral health conditions and social services from multiple government agencies. Behavioral health resources related to the COVID-19 pandemic are also available on the website.

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eLearning Hub

This resource center is designed to equip you with knowledge, resources, and a sense of hope for the future - for yourself or someone else you care about.

Check out our eLearning Hub to learn more about common behavioral health conditions.

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Find Resources or a Provider | You're Not Alone | Mental Health Texas

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Mental Health Texas provides learning and treatment opportunities for those coping with mental health conditions and those who support them.

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Bibliotherapy, a therapeutic approach that uses literature to support good mental health, is a versatile and cost-effective treatment option often adapted or used to supplement other types of therapy. Proponents of the approach suggest mild to moderate symptoms of several mood-related conditions can be successfully treated with reading activities.

Both individual and group therapy may utilize this method, which is considered appropriate for children, adolescents, and adults. Mental health professionals may encourage those in therapy and those who are waiting for therapy to read for guidance or self-help, developmental purposes, to learn about mental health concerns, and for the therapeutic benefits of imaginative literature.

History and Development of Bibliotherapy

Storytelling, creative writing, and reading have long been recognized for their therapeutic potential. The use of literature as a healing method dates back to ancient Greece, when Grecian libraries were seen as sacred places with curative powers. In the early nineteenth century, physicians like Benjamin Rush and Minson Galt II began to use bibliotherapy as an intervention technique in rehabilitation and the treatment of mental health issues. During World Wars I and II, bibliotherapy was used to help returning soldiers deal with both physical and emotional concerns.

In a 1916 article published in The Atlantic Monthly, Samuel Carothers defined bibliotherapy as the process of using books to teach those receiving medical care about their conditions, and Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary, published in 1941, officially recognized this modality as a form of mental health treatment. Bibliotherapy's use expanded further in the 1950s when Carolyn Shrodes developed a theoretical model based on the premise that people are greatly influenced by the characters they identify with in stories. The American Library Association issued an official definition in 1966, and in 1969, The Association of Poetry Therapy formed, establishing poetry therapy, a form of bibliotherapy, as a treatment modality. In the 1970s, librarian Rhea Rubin classified bibliotherapy into two categories: developmental (for educational settings) and therapeutic (for mental health settings). Her 1978 work, Using Bibliotherapy: A Guide to Theory and Practice, contributed greatly to developments in the field. In 1983, The International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy was established.

This page contains at least one affiliate link for the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which means GoodTherapy.org receives financial compensation if you make a purchase using an Amazon link.

Today, bibliotherapy is employed by educators, helping professionals, librarians, and even parents. Its versatility and adaptability make it an excellent supplement to self-improvement of all kinds.

How Is Bibliotherapy Used?

Developmental bibliotherapy, primarily used in educational settings, addresses typical childhood and adolescent concerns such as puberty, bodily functions, or developmental milestones. Educators or medical professionals may often encourage parents to use this approach with their children.

Therapeutic bibliotherapy takes many forms and can be used in conjunction with many different therapeutic frameworks. Reading has been shown to be able to help people understand the issues they are experiencing, amplify the effects of other treatment, normalize experiences with mental health concerns and care, and offer hope for positive change. Bibliotherapy can also expedite and intensify the therapeutic process by providing one potential format for therapeutic work outside of session.

The approach may be incorporated in one or more of the following ways:

Prescriptive bibliotherapy, which is also referred to as self-help, involves the use of specific reading materials and workbooks to address a variety of mental health concerns. Self-help may be conducted with or without the guidance of a therapist. A cognitive behavioral therapist teaching someone deep breathing and emotion regulation techniques may provide that person with a practice workbook to use at home, for example.

Books on Prescription is a program where reading materials targeting specific mental health needs are "prescribed" by mental health professionals, who might use resources such as the Bibliotherapy Education Project to find the appropriate books. Most libraries in the United States carry a set of books from the approved list for this purpose, often providing as a book list on their website. The Carnegie Library of Pittsburg is one such library. Their website also lists books for children, which cover topics like adoption, self-esteem, grief, divorce, and more.

Creative bibliotherapy utilizes imaginative literature-novels, short stories, poetry, plays, and biographies-to improve psychological well-being. Through the incorporation of carefully selected literary works, therapists can often guide people in treatment on a journey of self-discovery. This method is most beneficial when people are able to identify with a character, experience an emotional catharsis as a result of this identification, and then gain insight about their own life experiences. A therapist might use Our Gracie Aunt by Jacqueline Woodson, a story about a brother and sister who live with their aunt due to their mother's neglect, with a child who has experienced abuse to build interactive discussions and activities around the child's experience of the story.

Issues Treated with Bibliotherapy

While this method is not typically recommended instead of a more conventional form of therapy, it is frequently used by individuals in therapy and those who are waiting to receive therapy. In the U.K., where individuals seeking professional mental health treatment may wait up to six months, bibliotherapy is considered a first step in treatment for those who do not need immediate help.

Reading can benefit individuals of any age by increasing self-awareness, improving self-esteem, and aiding in the ability to face developmental crises. Studies show reading as a form of therapy to be useful in the treatment of depression, mild alcohol abuse, anxiety, eating disorders, and communication issues.

People in therapy for issues such as family-related challenges, posttraumatic stress, or grief might also benefit from the incorporation of books and reading activities into the approach being used. Books can be incorporated easily into any number of modalities, such as family systems therapy, play therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy, among others.

Who Offers Bibliotherapy?

While many therapists include elements of bibliotherapy in their work with people in treatment, The International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy (IFBPT) has set official standards for the practice. Practitioners interested in becoming certified poetry therapists (an umbrella term encompassing the fields of bibliotherapy, poetry therapy, and journal therapy) can pursue training from the IFBPT to obtain credentials. Studies show reading as a form of therapy to be useful in the treatment of depression, mild alcohol abuse, anxiety, eating disorders, and communication issues.

Credentials offered include:

Certified Applied Poetry Facilitator (CAPF): These individuals typically have a bachelor's degree and some experience in psychology. They work primarily with individuals who are not experiencing mental health concerns, but they are trained to recognize when an individual is experiencing distress and may benefit from a referral to a mental health professional. They often work in schools or libraries but are often able to work in a mental health setting with the supervision of a qualified professional.

Certified Poetry Therapist (CPT), Registered Poetry Therapist (PTR): Individuals who wish to complete requirements for either of these certifications are required to have post-graduate mental health training. They are generally licensed to work on their own with people who are experiencing mental health concerns. They may also be medical doctors. A registered poetry therapist completes advanced coursework and study to obtain the "registered" credential.

​​Training involves workshops and courses, peer experience, and field work, which is completed under the guidance of a mentor/supervisor. It is not necessary for a poetry therapist to be proficient in creative writing. More information can be found on the IFBPT website.

Is Bibliotherapy Effective?

Most professionals agree reading is a productive activity that can promote good mental health, as reading has been shown to increase empathy, sharpen the mind, and impact behavior. One study found children who read the Harry Potter series were more accepting of certain minority groups, and psychologists from the New School for Social Research determined fiction improved a reader's overall ability to discern and interpret emotion in others.

Anecdotal research suggests bibliotherapy may offer significant benefit in the treatment of mental health issues, and its popularity among mental health professionals further implies positive results. Many therapists believe the inclusion of books in treatment increases participation in therapy and can decrease recovery time, providing more opportunity for insight and behavioral change while also allowing people to take more responsibility in their therapy work. Research on the efficacy of the method has shown it to be a helpful part of the treatment process for those experiencing depression, anxiety, and substance dependency.

Further research may yield more details regarding efficacy and benefits. Presently, bibliotherapy is believed to be one cost-effective and versatile option for the treatment of several mental health issues.
References:

1. Afolayan, J. A. (1992). Documentary perspective of bibliotherapy in education. Reading Horizons, 33(2). Retrieved from http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1498&context=reading_horizons

2. Anderson, H. (2015, January 6). Bibliotherapy: can you read yourself happy? Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150106-can-you-read-yourself-happy

3. Bibliotherapy. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/tools/bibliotherapy

4. Hasty, P. (n.d.). Dynamic duo: combining bibliotherapy with play therapy techniques. Retrieved from http://www.lianalowenstein.com/article_bibliotherapy_edited.pdf

5. Helliker, K. (2007, July 31). Bibliotherapy: reading your way to mental health. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB118583572352482728

6. History. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.poetrytherapy.org/history.html#the association for poetry therapy

7. Iaquinta, A., & Hipsky, S. (2006, July). Bibliotherapy for the inclusive classroom. Retrieved from http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/Exceptional%20Learners/Inclusion/Teaching%20and%20Learning/hipsky_iaquinta.htm

8. Pehrsson, D. E. (2006, June). Benefits of utilizing bibliotherapy with play therapy. Play Therapy. Retrieved from http://bibliotherapy.ehs.cmich.edu/documents/APT%20bib%20Cover%20article.pdf

9. Shechtman, Z. (2009, June). Treating child and adolescent aggression through bibliotherapy. The Springer Series on Human Exceptionality, 21-37. doi:10.1007/978-0-387-09745-9_2

10. Summary of Training Requirements. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://ifbpt.org/obtaining-a-credential/getting-trained

11. McLaine, S. (n.d.). What is bibliotherapy? Retrieved from http://wordsthatheal.com.au/about

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Bibliotherapy, a therapeutic approach that uses literature to support good mental health, is a versatile and cost-effective treatment option often adapted or used to supplement other types of therapy. Proponents of the approach suggest mild to moderate symptoms of several mood-related conditions can be successfully treated with reading activities.

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Incorporating Bibliotherapy in Your Classroom

Incorporating bibliotherapy for children involves four simple steps:

1. Determining which challenges or problems you will address.

2. Finding appropriate literature selections to use as bibliotherapy texts.

3. Planning bibliotherapy activities that will enable you to accomplish your objectives.

4. Implementing your bibliotherapy activities.

Here is an example of how bibliotherapy could be implemented in a classroom using Hands Are Not for Hitting by Dr. Martine Agassi:

1. The teacher decides to address the problem of children hitting each other in the classroom.

2. After researching and previewing a number of texts, the teacher decides to use Hands Are Not for Hitting.

3. The objective of this bibliotherapy activity is to help students understand that hitting is not appropriate behavior. Pre-, during and post-reading activities are planned to achieve this objective.

The following bibliotherapy activities are implemented:

1. The teacher asks students write down all of the things their hands can be used for.

2. The teacher asks students to share some of the things they've written down with classmates.

3. After each student has contributed one item from their list, the teacher introduces Hands Are Not for Hitting to the class.

4. The teacher reads the book aloud to the class.

5. The class discusses the book. The focal point of the discussion is why hands should not be used for hitting.

6. The teacher passes out cut-outs of hands and markers to the class. Students are told to write their names on the cut-outs as well as something that hands can be used for.

7. The teacher asks students to write a paragraph about why hands should not be used for hitting.

8. The class uses the hand cut-outs and paragraphs to create a bulletin board display about why hands should not be used for hitting.

Bibliotherapy for children can be implemented with just about any book, story, or other piece of text that lends itself to the issue you intend to address. It can be used with large groups of students, as well as small groups or individual students, and can be an excellent strategy for teaching the skills necessary for working effectively with a partner or in a group.

Create a concise lesson plan for each bibliotherapy lesson you intend to implement. Choose appropriate bibliotherapy texts to help you use literature to help create a classroom community that values, respects, supports and celebrates all of your learners.

It would also be beneficial for you to make a list of books and other pieces of text that make good resources for teaching bibliotherapy lessons, and which lessons the pieces lend themselves to teaching effectively. These tools will help you build a positive classroom environment that promotes balance and supports healthy interactions for years to come.

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Bibliotherapy for Children in the Classroom

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Incorporating bibliotherapy for children involves four simple steps: Determining which challenges or problems you will address. Finding appropriate literature selections to use as bibliotherapy texts. Planning bibliotherapy activities that will enable you to accomplish your objectives. Implementing your bibliotherapy activities.

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Using Bibliotherapy with Children

By Leah Davies, M.Ed.

Bibliotherapy can assist children in overcoming problems by having them read stories about characters who have successfully resolved a dilemma similar to their own. Identification with a literary model can foster thought and possible resolution to a problem such as dealing with a separation, illness, death, poverty, disability, alienation, disaster, war, etc. The underlying premise of bibliotherapy is that interpreting stories is an ever-changing process to which children bring their own needs and experiences. Since students often have difficulty identifying and communicating their feelings, stories can serve to facilitate open discussion and self-understanding. If children become emotionally involved with literary characters, they are more able to verbalize, act out, or draw pictures describing their innermost thoughts.

Use of bibliotherapy is not limited to crisis situations, nor is it a cure for severe psychological difficulties. It may not meet the needs of some children, especially those who are not ready to face their specific issue. Other students may be unable to transfer insights gained from reading into their own life, or may use literature as a form of escape. Yet, these experiences with literary characters have been shown to be beneficial to many children.

The goals of bibliotherapy are to help children:

identify and validate their feelings;

realize that other children have problems similar to their own;

stimulate discussion;

foster thought and self-awareness;

discover possible coping skills and solutions; and

decide on a constructive course of action.

How can counselors, librarians and teachers use bibliotherapy?

1. Identify the needs of individuals or groups of students.

2. Locate literature that deals with emotional and developmental difficulties or unfortunate situations your student or students may be experiencing. Read the material prior to using it or recommending it. If you choose to read aloud or to refer a child to a particular story or book, be sure it is appropriate for the child's age, gender, maturity and background. The characters and plot should be realistic and include honest problem-solving. If literature is not available on a particular subject, consider books on tape or videos to assist children in learning ways to cope with their problems. Seek administrator approval if you plan to use bibliotherapy on topics that may be controversial in your community.

3. Chose a method to involve a child or children with the literature. Read a story aloud to one child or to small or large groups of children. Also, students may read assigned stories or books on their own. Those children with similar concerns could meet in small groups.

4. Design follow-up activities such as asking open-ended questions, retelling the story, acting out roles, using puppets, writing reactions, tape recording thoughts, and/or using various art materials to help children discover that:

other children have similar feelings when confronted with comparable circumstances;

they are not the only ones who experience dilemmas; all children encounter some difficulties in their lives;

everyone has strengths and weaknesses and through self-appraisal children can learn to persevere;

facing a problem is the first step to solving it;

there are a variety of ways to deal with a dilemma and that they can decide on a course of action; and

it takes time to remedy a problem; if they are unsuccessful at first, they need to think of something else to try.

5. When deemed necessary, involve children's parents in the process. Offer suggestions for additional reading selections and/or activities to assist the students in dealing with their emotions and specific difficulties.

Used by permission of the author, Leah Davies, and selected from the Kelly Bear website [www.kellybear.com]. 5/03

Click Below for More.

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Using Bibliotherapy with Children by Leah Davies,

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By Leah Davies, M.Ed. Bibliotherapy can assist children in overcoming problems by having them read stories about characters who have successfully resolved a dilemma similar to their own. Identification with a literary model can foster thought and possible resolution to a problem such as dealing with a separation, illness, death, poverty, disability, alienation, disaster, war, etc.

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Using bibliotherapy to teach problem solving 

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Using bibliotherapy to teach problem solving 

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Must have books for your elementary counseling library 

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Must have books for your elementary counseling library 

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A book that covers a wide variety of emotions is My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss. I like this one because it helps students understand that emotions change frequently and that is okay! This one is especially good for younger students who can match the different colors to feelings to better understand them.

Expressing Empathy

Books are a great way for students to express empathy and understand how others feel. By reading a story they can embody the character's thoughts and emotions. This is great for children who have a hard time reading social cues.

For this category I recommend another Dr. Seuss classic, The Sneetches. This book can be used to cover several topics including friendship, diversity, and bullying. It can evoke lots of meaningful discussions including how students think the Sneetches who are treated unfairly feel during the story. They can then apply the empathy takeaways to their own social situations.

Moral or Character Education Lesson

Several children's books have a moral to the story or a valuable lesson. These type of books can be great for introducing concepts related to behavior management or for teaching a gen ed classroom guidance lesson.

Want a free guidance lesson? Click here!

For this category I recommend Inch and Miles: The Journey to Success, a character building book by John Wooden. In this book two animal friends go on a journey to build the Pyramid of Success. Along the way they define character traits such as loyalty, determination, and self-control. My school used this as part of our character education program and it really resonated with the kids!

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Must Have Books in Your Elementary School Counseling Library - Bright Futures Counseling

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A book that covers a wide variety of emotions is My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss. I like this one because it helps students understand that emotions change frequently and that is okay! This one is especially good for younger students who can match the different colors to feelings to better understand them.

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This is a good tool to help parents talk through the ways their child gets them bent out of shape.

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This helps students think through what they are feeling, then practice breathing while they are doing another activity.

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Behavior: ADHD and Behavioral Changes in the Classroom 

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Behavior: ADHD and Behavioral Changes in the Classroom 

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Great worksheet to help students that feel overwhelmed by work or demands in the classroom.

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ADHD, Executive Function & Behavioral Challenges in the Classroom

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Childhelp is an internationally renowned non-profit organization dedicated to helping victims and children at risk of child abuse and neglect. The organization offers resources for teachers including:

The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453

Readings to share with students

An evidence-based prevention curriculum, Speak Up Be Safe: https://www.childhelp.org/speakupbesafe/

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Since 1959 Childhelp has existed to meet the physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs of abused, neglected and at-risk children.

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The Role of Developmental Assets in Childhood Career Development

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The Role of Developmental Assets in Childhood Career Development

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Kim, H., Carney, J. V., Guo, X., & Prescod, D. J. (2022, June). The role of developmental assets in childhood career development. Career Development Quarterly, 70(2), 98-109. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A708357788/AONE?u=txshracd2485&sid=ebsco&xid=55bfd9ae

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Prevalence and assessment of self-disorders in the schizophrenia spectrum: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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Prevalence and assessment of self-disorders in the schizophrenia spectrum: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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Burgin, S., Reniers, R., & Humpston, C. (2022). Prevalence and assessment of self-disorders in the schizophrenia spectrum: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-05232-9

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Prevalence and assessment of self-disorders in the schizophrenia spectrum a systematic review and meta-analysis.

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Double bookkeeping and schizophrenia spectrum: divided unified phenomenal consciousness

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Double bookkeeping and schizophrenia spectrum: divided unified phenomenal consciousness

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Parnas, J., Urfer-Parnas, A., & Stephensen, H. (2021). Double bookkeeping and schizophrenia spectrum: divided unified phenomenal consciousness. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 271(8), 1513–1523. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-020-01185-0

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Double bookkeeping and schizophrenia spectrum divided unified phenomenal consciousness

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Make Learning Accessible for all students: Accommodation, modification, and intervention

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Make Learning Accessible for all students: Accommodation, modification, and intervention

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Hiltbrand, S., Ellis, D. B., Rose, R., Allan, J., &amp; Cooper, E. (2021, September 28). Make learning accessible for all students: Accommodation, modification, and intervention. TechNotes Blog. Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://blog.tcea.org/make-learning-accessible-students/?utm_source=TCEA%2BEmails&amp;utm_campaign=8b48eac50a-tn-oct5-21&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_f3a5bb651e-8b48eac50a-40971819&amp;ct=t%28tn-oct5-21%29

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School is underway and you are probably busy once again! You juggle a hectic school schedule along with family activities while trying to maintain some semblance of sanity. To assist you, we have some clarification and ideas to help with your teaching. In this post, we'll be identifying several critical terms that all educators should know. We will also share a few ideas and strategies to help you with them. Additionally, just to make the reading more fun, we have a quiz for you down below to check how well you know the difference between accommodations, modifications, and interventions. You may also have some ideas that we didn't include, so please scroll down to the comment section and share them with our audience!

Accommodation

An accommodation is a change in the environment, curriculum format, or equipment. Students use accommodation to gain access to the content and to complete the work or meet expectations. Though the format of the curriculum might be altered, the curriculum or content itself is not. As a result, the work expectation and skill acquisition of the student with the accommodation is the same as other students who do not have accommodation. In essence, the adaptation lies in how the information is presented, how the student demonstrates mastery, the learning environment, expectations regarding time, scheduling, or utilizing strategies to assist with organization.

Here are a few examples of common accommodations:

Respond orally instead of writing the response on paper (response accommodation)

Use large-text print version of text (presentation accommodation)

Have instructions read aloud (presentation accommodation)

Allow the student to sit where he/she feels they learn best (setting accommodation)

Extended time for task or testing (time accommodation)

Take a test over several shorter periods and possibly over several days (scheduling accommodation)

Use a timer to help with time management (organization accommodation)

Take the test in a small group setting (setting accommodation)

Use a calculator, dictionary, or word processor (response accommodation)

Get an outline of a lesson (presentation accommodation)

Modification

On the other hand, modifications do not address how the student learns, but what the student learns. In this case, modifications to the curriculum or assignments are in place so that the student is not expected to learn the same material. For example, students who are not able to understand all of the content or concepts being taught should have modifications. As a result, assessments may cover less material or have fewer questions. The student is still expected to learn and demonstrate mastery, but the content is changed according to the plan designed for that particular child. In addition, the child can have curriculum modifications, assignment modifications, or both.

Here are a few examples of common modifications:

Different questions on a text are given to a student (assignment modification).

Different/alternative projects are assigned (assignment modification).

A different grading scale is used to assess the student (curriculum modification).

The student learns different content than other students, possibly from another grade level (curriculum modification).

Accommodations are for ALL students. Modifications are only for those with an Individualized Education Program.

Intervention

An intervention is a strategy that is implemented for a student to learn a new skill or concept that he may be struggling with. The purpose of the intervention is for the student to master the expected skill or concept taught to the class. As a result, interventions help students make progress towards the expectations or standards. They utilize assessment, planning, and monitoring of student progress.

Some interventions may include:

A student is provided time/access to a state-approved reading fluency program to improve decoding skills.

One student attends an afterschool (or Saturday) session to learn helpful math strategies for solving division problems.

A student participates in a small group for 30 minutes, twice a week, to improve reading comprehension skills

Particular students receive instruction in study skills so they can better learn the content and master academic goals.

Scenarios and a Quiz

Below are several scenarios. After reading each one, decide if it is detailing an accommodation, modification, or intervention. Last but not least, check your answer! If you're on a laptop or desktop, hover your mouse over the top left corner of the "?" icon to the left of each scenario to see the answer.

Mrs. Miller is a fourth grade reading teacher. They are starting to read "Wonder"by R. J. Palacio. To help one particular student, Jackson, Mrs. Miller has allowed him to listen to the book on tape instead of reading the book like his peers.

Mr. Moore seems to be the favorite teacher of all his tenth grade students. He enjoys teaching chemistry and makes learning fun. He has three students in fifth period that get a shortened version of the test for each chapter. Instead of 25 questions like all the other students recieve, these few students have only ten questions.

Ms. Williams teaches eighth grade science. They are about to do a unit on light and sound waves and how they interact with different materials. Each year, her students say this is their favorite unit. She anticipates that even Irene, who has a different grading scale than her peers, will enjoy this unit.

Professor Jones teaches at the community college. He also teaches a dual credit class for the local high school. Fortunately, he is a master at teaching accounting to both college and high school students. Last week, he noticed that some of his students struggled when applying auditing concepts to evaluate the conformity of financial statements. He was able to pull those students aside and review Auditing Standard No. 15 with them. This was a standard they should have learned about in a prerequisite course.

Dr. Taylor is the principal at Crockett Junior High. As she was doing a walkthrough, she noticed that one of the students wasn't able to finish an assignment within the class period. Dr. Taylor noted that the student had the same assignment as the other students. She suggested that the teacher provide extra time for the student to finish the assignment.

Suggest Helpful Accommodations, Modifications, and Interventions

What are some accommodations, modifications, and interventions that you have found helpful with your students? We would love for you to share with us, but be sure to use a fake name for your student(s). Also, if you have a great website to share that lists strategies and ways to accommodate, modify, and intervene, our readers would appreciate you sharing it. Just jump to the comment section below and pay it forward.

Find other TechNotes posts on accommodation, modification, and intervention here.
Header image attribution: People photo created by lookstudio - www.freepik.com

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Make Learning Accessible for All Students: Accommodation, Modification, and Intervention

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School is underway and you are probably busy once again! You juggle a hectic school schedule along with family activities while trying to maintain some semblance of sanity. To assist you, we have some clarification and ideas to help with your teaching. In this post, we'll be identifying several critical terms that all educators should know.

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Is it a modification or an accommodation? graphic 

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Is it a modification or an accommodation? graphic 

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The Learning Disabilities Association of Texas

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Is it a modification or is it an accommodation_1_(1)

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Lee, A. M. I. (2014). The 13 disability categories under IDEA. Understood. Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://www.understood.org/en/articles/conditions-covered-under-idea

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At a glance

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires public schools to provide special education services to eligible students.

IDEA covers 13 disability categories.

Not every student who struggles in school qualifies.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires public schools to provide special education and related services to eligible students. But not every child who struggles in school qualifies. To be covered, a child's school performance must be "adversely affected" by a disability in one of the 13 categories below.

1. Specific learning disability (SLD)

The "specific learning disability" (SLD) category covers a specific group of learning challenges. These conditions affect a child's ability to read, write, listen, speak, reason, or do math. Here are some examples of what could fall into this category:

SLD is the most common category under IDEA. In the 2018-19 school year, around 33 percent of students who qualified did so under this category.

2. Other health impairment

The "other health impairment" category covers conditions that limit a child's strength, energy, or alertness. One example is ADHD, which impacts attention and executive function.

3. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

ASD is a developmental disability. It involves a wide range of symptoms, but it mainly affects a child's social and communication skills. It can also impact behavior.

Various mental health issues can fall under the "emotional disturbance" category. They may include anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and depression. (Some of these may also be covered under "other health impairment.")

5. Speech or language impairment

This category covers difficulties with speech or language. A common example is stuttering. Other examples are trouble pronouncing words or making sounds with the voice. It also covers language problems that make it hard for kids to understand words or express themselves.

6. Visual impairment, including blindness

A child who has eyesight problems is considered to have a visual impairment. This category includes both partial sight and blindness. If eyewear can correct a vision problem, then it doesn't qualify.

Kids with a diagnosis of deafness fall under this category. These are kids who can't hear most or all sounds, even with a hearing aid.

The term "hearing impairment" refers to a hearing loss not covered by the definition of deafness. This type of loss can change over time. Being hard of hearing is not the same thing as having trouble with auditory or language processing.

Kids with a diagnosis of deaf-blindness have both severe hearing and vision loss. Their communication and other needs are so unique that programs for just the deaf or blind can't meet them.

10. Orthopedic impairment

An orthopedic impairment is when kids lack function or ability in their bodies. An example is cerebral palsy.

11. Intellectual disability

Kids with this type of disability have below-average intellectual ability. They may also have poor communication, self-care, and social skills. Down syndrome is one example of a condition that involves an intellectual disability.

12. Traumatic brain injury

This is a brain injury caused by an accident or some kind of physical force.

13. Multiple disabilities

A child with multiple disabilities has more than one condition covered by IDEA. Having multiple issues creates educational needs that can't be met in a program designed for any one disability.

Having a disability is not enough to qualify for special education. The disability has to have an "adverse effect" on a child's education.

Key takeaways

Each of the 13 disability categories in IDEA can cover a range of difficulties.

Dyslexia, dyscalculia, and written expression disorder fall under the "specific learning disability" category.

"Other health impairment" can cover ADHD.

About the author

About the author

Andrew M.I. Lee, JD is an editor and attorney who strives to help people understand complex legal, education, and parenting issues.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Rayma Griffin, MA, MEd has spent her 40-year career advocating for the rights of children with learning and thinking differences, both in the classroom and as an educator.

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See a list of the 13 IDEA disability categories. Find out which disabilities can qualify kids for special education.

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For all things SPED

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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

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Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

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The U.S. Department of Education’s Individuals with Disabilities Education Act website brings together department and grantee IDEA information and resources. The IDEA makes available a free appropriate public education to and ensures special education and related services to eligible children with disabilities.

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North Dakota Department of Public Education

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North Dakota Department of Public Instruction- 504 and IDEA

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New York Lawyers For The Public Interest, Inc. (2011). Special Education Fact Sheet: Section 504 Accommodation Plans . New York , NY; New York Lawyers For The Public Interest, Inc. New York Lawyers For The Public Interest, Inc.

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PACER Center Inc. . (2012). Students with Disabilities &amp; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Minneapolis, MN.

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Students with disabilities and section 504

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The difference between IEPs and 504 plans

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The difference between IEPs and 504 plans

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Understood for All Inc. (2014). IEP vs. 504 plan: What's the difference? Understood. Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://www.understood.org/en/articles/the-difference-between-ieps-and-504-plans

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Both Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 plans can offer formal help for K-12 students who are struggling in school. They're similar in some ways but very different in others. This chart compares them side by side to help you understand the differences.

A blueprint or plan for a child's special education experience at school.

A blueprint or plan for how the school will provide support and remove barriers for a student with a disability.

To get an IEP, there are two requirements: A child has one or more of the 13 disabilities listed in IDEA. The law lists specific challenges, like learning disabilities, ADHD, autism, and others. And the disability must affect the child's educational performance and/or ability to learn and benefit from the general education curriculum. The child must need specialized instruction to make progress in school.

To get a 504 plan, there are two requirements: A child has any disability. Section 504 covers a wide range of different struggles in school. And the disability must interfere with the child's ability to learn in a general education classroom. Section 504 has a broader definition of a disability than IDEA. (It says a disability must substantially limit one or more basic life activities. This can include learning, reading, communicating, and thinking.) That's why a child who doesn't qualify for an IEP might still be able to get a 504 plan.

There are strict legal requirements about who participates. With a few exceptions, the entire IEP team must be present for IEP meetings. The team must include:

The rules about who's on the 504 team are less specific than they are for an IEP. A 504 plan is created by a team of people who are familiar with the child and who understand the evaluation data and special services options. This might include:

* The child's parent or caregiver

* General and special education teachers

* The school principal

* The child's parent or caregiver

* At least one of the child's general education teachers

* At least one special education teacher

* A school psychologist or other specialist who can interpret evaluation results

* A district representative with authority over special education services

The IEP sets learning goals and describes the services the school will provide. It's a written document. Here are some of the most important things the IEP must include:

There is no standard 504 plan. Unlike an IEP, a 504 plan doesn't have to be a written document. A 504 plan generally includes the following:

* Specific accommodations, supports, or services for the child

* Names of who will provide each service

* Name of the person responsible for ensuring the plan is implemented

* The child's present levels of academic and functional performance - how the child is currently doing in school

* Annual education goals for the child and how the school will track progress

* The services the child will get - this may include special education, related, supplementary, and extended school year services

* The timing of services - when they start, how often they occur, and how long they last

* Any accommodations - changes to the child's learning environment

* Any modifications - changes to what the child is expected to learn or know

* How the child will participate in standardized tests

* How the child will be included in general education classes and school activities

When the school wants to change a child's services or placement, it has to tell families in writing before the change. This is called prior written notice. Notice is also required for any IEP meetings and evaluations. Families also have "stay put" rights to keep services in place while there's a disagreement about the IEP.

The school must notify families about an evaluation or a "significant change" in placement. Notice doesn't have to be in writing, but most schools do so anyway.

How to resolve disputes

IDEA gives families several ways to resolve disputes (usually in this order):

Section 504 gives families several options for resolving disagreements with the school:

* Mediation

* Alternative dispute resolution

* Impartial hearing

* Complaint to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR)

* Lawsuit

* Mediation

* Due process complaint

* Resolution session

* Civil lawsuit

* State complaint

* Lawsuit

And if you need help navigating special education law in your state, consider reaching out to your local Parent Training and Information Center. The people there can answer questions and give practical advice on issues specific to your area.

Do you want to learn more about how IEPs and 504 plans compare? Watch as an expert explains the differences between them.

About the author

About the author

The Understood Team is made up of passionate writers and editors. Many of them have kids who learn and think differently.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Andrew M.I. Lee, JD is an editor and attorney who strives to help people understand complex legal, education, and parenting issues.

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The difference between IEPs and 504 plans

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Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 plans are similar but different. See how they compare in what they provide and the processes and laws involved.

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Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities. (2013). Emotional disturbance. Project IDEAL. Retrieved July 20, 2022, from http://www.projectidealonline.org/v/emotional-disturbance/

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Definition

Students with emotional disorders are a very heterogeneous group with a wide range of issues that are unique to each individual. However, there are some key characteristics that are used to define this disability category, mostly relating to issues of personal identity and emotional well-being. An emotional disorder may be present if a student responds to a situation with an inappropriate behavior or emotion, and particularly, if this emotion is depression or long term unhappiness. Students with emotional disorders typically have a very difficult time maintaining personal relationships with others, and these personal problems lead to physical symptoms in time. If the student has difficulty learning, but there is no intellectual or sensory cause of this difficulty, then an emotional disorder may be to blame. This disability category does include some mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.

It should be noted that one or more of the previously mentioned characteristics has to be present for an extended period of time, and must have a negative impact on the student's academic performance before being considered an emotional disorder. Signs of an emotional disorder need to be taken seriously, as they can lead to physical aggression and self-injurious behavior. However, care must also be taken to recognize the difference between emotional disturbance and general teenage angst. There are as many causes of emotional disturbance in children as there are children in this category, but they can generally be divided into either biological causes, environmental causes, or a combination of the two.

Prevalence

The U.S. Department of Education reports 5,971,495 students receiving special education services in the 2003-2004 school year. Of that number, roughly 7.7%, or 461,055 students, received special education services based on a classification of emotional disturbance. However, within this group of 461,055 students, there was a definite disproportionally between gender, race and socioeconomic background. African-American students were far more likely to be diagnosed as emotionally disturbed than white students, reflecting possible race bias in this category. Research has pointed to a direct correlation between low income status and emotional disorders, but the exact reasons for this correlation are unknown.

Characteristics

Each student with an emotional disturbance will have characteristics that are unique to that individual. However, these students will all share deficits in three specific areas, namely emotional development, behavioral development, and cognitive development.

These students may have specific emotional characteristics/conditions such as anxiety disorder, mood disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, and schizophrenia. Not addressing any one of these disorders with the appropriate support system could have potentially tragic results. Behavioral characteristics of an emotional disorder include externalizing behavior and conversely internalizing behavior. The former can result in problem behavior and physical aggression while the latter results in depression and anxiety. Finally, students with emotional disorders have a number of academic issues as well, and each year half of the students in this category drop out of school entirely.

One intriguing possible contributing factor to emotional disturbance can be found in deficits in communication. An estimated 71% of students with emotional disorders also have expressive and receptive language disorders that impact their ability to understand and communicate with peers and adults.

Impact on Learning

Students with emotional disorders can be found at every level of cognitive functioning, but the majority of these students tend to have low average intelligence. Most achieve below grade level in academic achievement, with the greatest deficits in both math and spelling. Many have a coexisting learning disability of some type. Students that exhibit externalizing behaviors are at the greatest risk for continued deficits in academic functioning. Students with emotional disorders are less likely to attend post-secondary school than students in many other disability categories. An effective educational program for students with emotional disorders will provide emotional and behavioral supports that foster the replacement of problem behaviors with more appropriate behaviors. Positive behavior support systems are one especially effective strategy to achieve this goal, as are the implementation of wraparound services.

Teaching Strategies

Wraparound planning is a collaborative process that has shown great promise in supporting students with emotional disorders, both in research and in more practical application. This planning process brings all of the involved service providers (i.e., adult rehabilitation services, mental health services, guidance counselor) and individuals together to create a natural support system that is founded on the strengths of the individual student and the community in which that student lives. The family is an integral part of this process, and the overall goal is to devise a program that will capitalize on the strengths and interests of the student while utilizing community resources for placement and intervention.

Generally, academic achievement and problem behaviors often go hand-in-hand for students with emotional disorders. To put this another way, the more difficulty they have with a classroom task, the more likely that maladaptive behavior will result. Supporting the academic performance of these students will thus have the added benefit of decreasing externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Best practices for students with emotional disorders are often best practices for all students. A strategy such as allowing students to choose between classroom tasks, for example, is an effective way to decrease problem behaviors in general. Consistent and specific praise is also a great technique to utilize with all students in the classroom, but can be particularly effective with students with emotional disorders.

It is very important to not make assumptions about any family of a child with an emotional disorder. Many emotional disorders have an organic cause, and the parents of the child may well be loving and supportive in every way. However, some of these students have indeed been abused in some fashion in their young lives, and this too can be a cause of emotional or behavioral issues. Trust can be a very large issue for these children. Forming a relationship with these students that is built on empathy, trust, and mutual respect can often be the solution to many problem behaviors, and can have a lasting impact of the emotional development of the child.

Assistive Technology

Some modification in instruction will be necessary to allow a student with an emotional disorder to demonstrate mastery in a number of academic areas, and most especially in the area of writing. Word processing software can be an excellent supplementary aid for these students, allowing them to edit and revise their work as they produce it. These programs can strengthen spelling skills and writing cohesion simply by making the writing process easier overall. Of particular benefit are word processing programs that read the text as it is typed, providing an additional audio cue for the student.

Organizations

There are a number of excellent organizations that can help support classroom instruction for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. The information presented in this module is intended as just a very brief description of emotional disorder and its impact on learning. Much more in-depth information and instructional strategies can be accessed through the following organizations:

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

The AACAP (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) is the leading national professional medical association dedicated to treating and improving the quality of life for children, adolescents, and families affected by these disorders. Composed of over 7,500 child and adolescent psychiatrists and other interested physicians, its members actively research, evaluate, diagnose, and treat psychiatric disorders and pride themselves on giving direction to and responding quickly to new developments in addressing the health care needs of children and their families.

Public Information Office
3615 Wisconsin Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20016-3007

Web: www.aacap.org

Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

The OSEP-funded National Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavior and Intervention Supports was established to address the behavioral and discipline systems needed for successful learning and social development of students. The Center provides capacity-building information and technical support about behavioral systems to assist states and districts in the design of effective schools.

5262 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403-5262

Email: pbis@oregon.uregon.edu
Web: www.pbis.org

Center for Disability and Development

Dept. of Educational Psychology
4225 Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77843-4225

Council for Exceptional Children

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. CEC advocates for appropriate governmental policies, sets professional standards, provides continual professional development, advocates for newly and historically underserved individuals with exceptionalities, and helps professionals obtain conditions and resources necessary for effective professional practice.

1110 North Glebe Road, Suite 300
Arlington, VA 22201-5704

Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health

This organization is dedicated exclusively to helping children with mental health needs and their families achieve a better quality of life. They provide leadership to develop and sustain a nationwide network of family-run organizations; focus the passion and cultural diversity of our membership to be a potent force for changing how systems respond to children with mental health needs and their families; help policy-makers, agencies, and providers become more effective in delivering services and supports that foster healthy emotional development for all children.

1101 King Street, Suite 420
Alexandria, VA 22314

Email: ffcmh@ffcmh.org
Web: www.ffcmh.org

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)

NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation's largest grassroots organization for people with mental illness and their families. NAMI is dedicated to the eradication of mental illnesses and to the improvement of the quality of life for persons of all ages who are affected by mental illnesses. NAMI members and friends work to fulfill our mission by providing support, education, and advocacy.

Colonial Place Three
2107 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 300
Arlington, VA 22203-3754

Web: www.nami.org

Mental Health America

Mental Health America is dedicated to helping ALL people live mentally healthier lives. They work to fulfill this mission by education the public about ways to preserve and strengthen mental health; advocating for access to effective care; fostering innovation in research, practice, services and policy; and providing support to individuals and families.

2001 N. Beauregard Street, 12th Floor
Alexandria, VA 22311

Web: www.nmha.org

National Mental Health Information Center

The National Mental Health Information Center was developed for users of mental health services and their families, the general public, policy makers, providers, and the media. They provide free information about mental health via a toll-free number, their website, and more than 600 publications.

P.O. Box 42557
Washington, DC 20015

Web: www.mentalhealth.org

References

Hunt, N., and Marshall, K. (2006). Exceptional children and youth. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (2004). Fact Sheet 5. Retrieved February 1, 2008 from www.nichcy.org/pubs/factshe/fs5txt.htm.

Turnbull, A., Turnbull, R. & Wehmeyer, M. L. (2007). Exceptional lives. Special education in today's schools. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.

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Students with emotional disorders typically have a hard time maintaining relationships, and these personal problems may lead to physical symptoms in time.

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Center for Parent Information and Resources 

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Center for Parent Information and Resources 

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Finding the motivation to make positive lifestyle changes can be hard for anyone. For teenagers, it can be especially difficult when parents are the ones telling them to do it. But if they've fallen into unhealthy habits like vaping or alcohol abuse, change can be beneficial. Motivational interviewing is a form of therapy that creates a safe, non-judgmental environment for teens to establish their own goals and values and see how changing unhealthy behaviors can benefit them in the long run.

This series of articles comes from the Child Mind Institute, with most available in English and Spanish. Why might teens be resistant to therapy and how can parents and others to help them get the treatment they need? The articles explain how motivational interviewing can help teens gain the self-confidence to make important behavioral changes. To read more about motivational interviewing, and to connect with the articles in both English and Spanish, please visit CPIR's abstract.

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Center for Parent Information and Resources | Your Central Hub for Parent Centers Serving Families of Children With Disabilities

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Finding the motivation to make positive lifestyle changes can be hard for anyone. For teenagers, it can be especially difficult when parents are the ones telling them to do it. But if they've fallen into unhealthy habits like vaping or alcohol abuse, change can be beneficial.

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Each child is an individual with different social, emotional, and academic strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, their educational needs may vary from one season or school year to the next.

In the first section of our chapter, "School: A Child's World Beyond Home" we cover the legal evolution of the Individual with Disabilities Educational Act (IDEA 2004) and advise a parent how to initiate an Individual Education Plan (IEP), prepare for the IEP meeting (including rehearsal strategies), and locate educational consultants and attorneys.

But the more we talked to people in preparation for this chapter, the more we came to understand that both parents and educators were confused about the construction of an IEP for a student struggling with a bipolar disorder. A model IEP-one that specifically addresses the seasonal variations in mood, energy, attention, motivation, and behavior, as well as one that addresses the frequently co-occurring executive function deficits, needed to be developed.

Therefore, we asked special education advocate, Anne Marie Smith, M. Ed., from Agawam, Massachusetts, to construct an IEP that might provide guidelines for educating a middle school student throughout the school year.

With the hope that the following information is helpful to parents and educators alike, we excerpt the following from The Bipolar Child (pages 305-311.) Also see pages 295-303 in the book for a highly focused and very comprehensive list of accommodations, modifications, and special services that can be incorporated into an IEP.
From The Bipolar Child by Demitri Papolos, M.D. and Janice Papolos (Broadway Books, 2006). All rights reserved.

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Bipolar Children Individual Education Plan (IEP) Model

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Each child is an individual with different social, emotional, and academic strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, their educational needs may vary from one season or school year to the next.

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Not all students who have disabilities require specialized instruction. For students with disabilities who do require specialized instruction in the United States, the IDEA controls the procedural requirements and an IEP is developed. "Special education" under IDEA means the child has been identified as having unique educational needs related to his/her disability and is entitled to an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to meet these needs.

The IDEA process is more involved than that of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The IDEA requires that measurable growth and progress towards written goals and objectives be documented.

For students with disabilities who do not require specialized instruction but need the assurance that they will receive equal access to public education and services, a document is created to outline their specific accessibility requirements. Section 504 is a federal civil rights law. The purpose of Section 504 is to protect persons with disabilities against discrimination for reasons related to their disabilities.

While students with a 504 plan do not require specialized instruction, and specific goals and objectives are not necessarily outlines nor is data tracked, the plan should be reviewed annually to ensure that the student is receiving the most effective accommodations for his/her specific circumstances.

Unlike IDEA, Section 504 does not guarantee that a child with a disability will receive an individualized educational program that is designed to meet the child's individual educational needs. Rather, it guarantees that accommodations will be made relative to their specific medical needs.

Eligibility for protections under Section 504 depends on the child in question having a physical or mental impairment which must substantially limit at least one major life activity. Major life activities include walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, writing, performing math calculations, working, caring for oneself, and performing manual tasks. Section 504 requires an evaluation that draws information from a variety of sources.

A child who receives Section 504 protections has fewer rights than the child who receives special education services under the IDEA. The child who receives special education services under the IDEA is automatically protected under Section 504.

Section 504 is designed to guarantee that children with disabilities will not be discriminated against. It is also important to understand that if your child does not qualify for special education services under IDEA, your child does not have the procedural protections that are available under the IDEA.

Under Section 504, the child with a disability may receive accommodations and modifications that are not available to children who are not disabled. These accommodations and modifications are also available under IDEA. For example; accommodations could include, but not be limited to, such things as:

Tests taken in a separate location with time limits waived or extended.

The use of a word processor due to fine motor, visual motor deficits.

Shortened assignments.

Standardized tests answers written directly in the test booklet and transferred onto answer sheet by teacher or assistant.

Class notes provided rather than having the student copy from the chalkboard or overhead.

Allowing the child to leave the classroom 2 to 3 minutes early to avoid crowded hallways.

Preferential seating in the classroom.

Provision of a daily assignment sheet to be filled out by the student and verified by the teacher for accuracy. The parent could then check to make sure that all the work is accomplished. This would assist with homework prioritizing and management.

Please note: These are simply examples. All or none of these may be suitable for your child.

Students with bipolar disorder may or may not have a need for specialized instruction provided within an IEP. For some students, simply being granted accommodations that make allowance for the side effects of medications, related anxiety issues, or results of mood changes is sufficient.

Students with bipolar disorder who are well-controlled on medication may or may not be plagued by racing thoughts, distracting thoughts, an inability to concentrate, decreased energy; all of which will require modifications in the teaching environment or instructional strategies.

For other students, the side effects of medications may be significant enough to require changes in instruction provided or curriculum modifications. Some of the common side effects of medications include: tremors (trembling of hands), blurred vision, loss of coordination, slurred speech, sedation, ataxia (unsteady movement), dizziness, seizures. Some students with bipolar disorder may also have one of a number of other disabilities that impacts their access to the general education curriculum; such as vision or hearing impairment, learning disability, processing problems, or other disability. The co-morbidity rates of ADHD, anxiety disorder, conduct disorder, oppositional-defiant disorder and learning disabilities in students with bipolar disorder tell us that we should explore all avenues available to meet the educational needs of our children.

The following accommodations are meant to serve as a resource for parents unsure of what possibilities exist:

Students on some medications may need:

increased access to water, unlimited access to restrooms (particularly students taking Lithium)

decreased reading assignments or having books on tape or computer screen-reading due to blurred vision

modified school arrival, shortened day, scheduling of core content during the student's most alert time, reducing homework and extending deadlines, providing notes, allowing longer or more frequent breaks, allowing exercise or other movement due to sleep impairment or to sedation of medications

provision of notes and listening guides, work monitoring, extended time on assignments, extra set of books for home use, breaking assignments into more manageable pieces, use of checklists, providing written instructions and/or other visual cues, use of word banks on fill-in types of tests and other modifications that aid retrieval/memory, testing in a separate room, or extended test time, use of multiple choice formats, use of oral exams rather than written demands, use of noise-canceling headsets, - all for impaired concentration, memory

reducing or discontinuing homework may be necessary for some students due to difficulties with concentration, sleep patterns, mood irritability. For these students it may be necessary to schedule a resource room period at the beginning of the day to get assignments ready for the day, or at the end of the day to complete assignments before leaving school

preferential seating can be used to help with vision, focus, reduce visual or auditory distraction, allow for discrete monitoring

and while a 504 plan will simply list the type of accommodation needed and the reasons for it/them, an IEP must contain objectives that are written with specific criteria; such as -Given a grade level reading assignment of 1 chapter with 4 comprehension questions, (name) will answer the questions with 60/70/80% accuracy. Or given an assignment containing 5 long division problems, (name) will complete 3/4/5 problems at 80% accuracy.

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Accommodations for Students with Bipolar Disorder and Related Disabilities - International Bipolar Foundation

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Sarah Edison Knapp, David J. Berghuis, & Catherine L. Dimmitt. (2014). The School Counseling and School Social Work Treatment Planner, with DSM-5 Updates, 2nd Edition: Vol. Second edition. Wiley.

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Identifying and working with children who suffer hoarding disorder 

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Identifying and working with children who suffer hoarding disorder 

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Miller , C. (2021, September 7). Hoarding in children. childmind.org. Retrieved July 10, 2022, from https://childmind.org/article/hoarding-in-children/

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Child Mind Institute. (2021, September 7). Quick Guide to Hoarding disorder. childmind.org. Retrieved July 10, 2022, from https://childmind.org/guide/hoarding-disorder-in-children-quick-guide/

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childmind.org-Quick Guide to Hoarding Disorder

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OCD and the Role of the School Counselor 

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OCD and the Role of the School Counselor 

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Wertlieb, E. C. (2008). Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and the School Counselor. Journal of School Counseling, 6(28), 1–26.

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Examining OCD Behaviors in the School Setting 

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Examining OCD Behaviors in the School Setting 

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Suffering in Silence- Examining OCD in School Setting

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Movies that may be helpful throughout the counseling journey.

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Counseling Movies: Films that Illustrate Mental Health - Unseen Footprints

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Are you a counselor or studying to be one? Here are some counseling movies to check out that illustrate issues in mental health and how counselors are perceived in our society!

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988 Suicide Fact Sheet for Stakeholders 

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988 Suicide Fact Sheet for Stakeholders 

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Support for suicidal individuals booklet

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The IRIS Center- help for classroom management and students with disabilities 

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The IRIS Center- help for classroom management and students with disabilities 

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Children who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are plagued with unwanted thoughts, images or impulses that are difficult to suppress, causing them great stress and worry. These are called obsessions. To alleviate the anxiety caused by their obsessive thoughts, they perform repetitive, ritualized actions called compulsions. A child with OCD might need to line things up, touch things in a certain order when leaving the room or wash his hands repeatedly.

Obsessions Common in Kids With OCD

Contamination: Kids with this obsession are sometimes called "germaphobes." In schools, this plays out with kids worrying about other kids sneezing and coughing, touching things that might be dirty or getting sick in many different ways. This is the most common obsession seen in children.

Magical thinking: This is a kind of superstition, like "step on a crack, break your mother's back," taken to extremes. For example, kids might worry that their thoughts can cause someone to get hurt, or get sick. A child might think, "Unless my things are lined up in a certain way, mom will get in a car accident."

Catastrophizing: Some kids easily jump to the conclusion that something terrible has happened. For example, if her parents are five minutes late picking her up, a girl who is catastrophizing might tell herself that they've decided to abandon her.

Scrupulosity: This is when kids have obsessive worries about offending God or being blasphemous in some way.

What ifs: Kids may be plagued by a lot of different kinds of thoughts about bad things they could do. "What if I hurt someone? What if I stab someone? What if I kill someone?"

The "just right feeling": When OCD first develops, from about 6 to 9 years of age, kids may not know why they are doing something, but just that they need to do it until they get what we call the "just right feeling." So: "I'll line these things up until it just kind of feels right, and then I'll stop." And then over time - in the 9- to 12-year-old range - it evolves into magical thinking and becomes more superstitious in nature.

Behaviors You Might See in Students With OCD

Frequent requests to go to the bathroom: This could be to wash hands, if someone near the child was coughing or sneezing, or if she touched something that she perceives as contaminated. She could be washing items-pens, pencils, backpacks, books. It could also be an excuse to get out the classroom and just be away from everyone, and have some respite.

Constant reassurance-seeking: This takes the form of repetitive questions. "Are you sure that's the answer? Could you tell me again? Did you hear what I said?" Checking doors, windows, lockers, desks. Over and over and over again.

Getting stuck on tasks: Sometimes kids with OCD will need to finish something to completion, or understand it to completion, before they're able to move on. So if a child is working out what he did wrong on a math test, and the teacher says, "Now let's open the textbook and start a new chapter," he's not going to be able to shift gears.

Retracing: If a child leaves the classroom and worries that she left a pencil behind, she'll go back into the classroom and go to her desk and check. If she had a bad thought as she went through the doorway, she might have to "fix it" by going back through the doorway again saying a good word. If she had a bad thought when she went down a flight of stairs on the way to class, she might need to go back up that same stairway at the end of the period, even if it means being late to her next class.

Obsessive erasing: A child could be erasing a lot because the letters have to look perfect. Or he could have used a word that disturbs him. For example, if he has a fear of vomiting and he's written the word vomit, he might not be able to stand seeing that word, so he erases it. Kids start having erasers worn down to the metal. Teachers start to see holes in the paper. Words will be drawn over on the back of the page. A lot of different areas of writing become problematic.

Behaviors Often Confused With Another Disorder

Some behaviors associated with OCD are easy to confuse with ADHD, learning problems or being oppositional.

Distraction: If a child is busy thinking that if she doesn't turn the pen cap and count to four the right way then her mom is going to get sick, she's not going to be paying attention in class. And if her teacher calls on her to answer a question, her distraction might look like ADHD, but it isn't.

Slowness on exams, papers and tasks: Sometimes when kids take a long time, they're struggling with the perfectionism of needing to do things the right way. This could look like learning problems, or inattention, but it isn't.

Avoidance: Teachers might see a child who doesn't want to sit on the floor, or pick things up that touched the floor, or get his hands dirty in art class. He may avoid a lot of playground activities - kids with germ fears will view the playground the way some adults view the subway: it's gross. Why touch anything there?

Tapping and touching symmetrically: If a child sits down at her desk and she accidentally kicks the chair of the kid next to her with her right foot, she's going to have to then kick it with her left foot. That might look like somebody who's being oppositional, or somebody who's got too much energy, but actually it's OCD.

Complaints of anxiety and fatigue: There's one interesting theory that kids with OCD are smarter than other kids. And if you consider how much thinking they're doing, they're really using their brain more frequently than a lot of other kids are. But when that's coupled with a lot of anxiety, you can have a lot of fatigue. So it's common for kids with OCD to want to come home and take a nap after school.

How to Help Students With OCD

For children struggling with OCD, functioning in school can be complicated and very difficult. Here are some things you can do to help them, and the class as a whole, focus on learning:

Seating arrangement: If the school has noisy hallways, you might not want to have a child with OCD sit by the door. You might have her sit in the front, where she's less able to hear the noise and can stay more focused on her work. On the other hand, a child who has very observable symptoms, and doesn't want other kids to see her fidgeting with her hands, rocking or getting up a lot, might be better off closer to the door, toward the back of the room.

Extended time for tests and papers: If writing is a problem for a child who needs to find the perfect way to say something, he's going to need more time to finish those essay questions or papers.

Laptops for writing: If writing and rewriting/erasing is really problematic for a child, consider letting her use a laptop for taking notes, and having all assignments be typed instead of handwritten.

Private testing rooms: Research is quite clear that kids with OCD do better, are less overwhelmed and are more in control of their thoughts and their reactions if they're in a quiet place away from the other kids.

Skip reading out loud: Kids who feel they need to read perfectly may have to go back and reread sentences or whole paragraphs over and over to make sure they've got them right. So reading becomes a very laborious task, and reading in front of the class can become a nightmare. So if we know doing this is a problem for children, we can spare them.

Books on tape: If kids get so hung up reading that it takes forever, listening to the books can be a solution.

Break homework into chunks: If looking at a whole page of math makes kids feel overwhelmed and anxious - think of the potential for mistakes! - the problems can be broken up over four pages. It helps kids stay focused on doing the problems instead of worrying.

How to Minimize Behavioral Problems

Plan an escape route: Try working out a communication system so that if the student feels symptoms coming on, she can signal to you and leave the classroom, or go to a protected place in the classroom, without interrupting the class. It can prevent an embarrassing and disruptive blowup of symptoms in the classroom, and the other kids picking on or bullying her about it.

Be aware of triggering events: It's very important for teachers to know what kind of things might trigger the symptoms. Fatigue is a huge piece of OCD, and it can be exacerbated by medication. So it's important to know that if a child is drowsy in class, and maybe he's putting his head down, it's not because he's being oppositional or disrespectful, but because he's overwhelmed with fatigue.

Advance notice: Irritability and frustration are two of the longer-lasting things that kids with OCD are feeling on a daily basis. Changes in schedule can be very disruptive for a child with OCD, so it can be helpful for teachers to give advance notice of things. Kids who know what to expect are less likely to be thrown by the change.

Children with OCD are often teased and bullied because of their symptoms. Kids feel very uncomfortable about their rituals, knowing that they're being watched. It can be helpful to educate the whole class about what's going on, especially if a child is going to be in the same school for a number of years, and it can inspire a surprising amount of support from other children.

Peer understanding program: A peer understanding program includes a presentation in the classroom that explains (with the child participating) what OCD is. The child might say, "Listen, I have OCD. It's an anxiety disorder. It makes me think that my hands are dirty and I have to wash my hands a lot, so if you see me getting up and going to the sink to wash my hands, that's why." Psychologists can role-play with the teacher and child ahead of time, to anticipate questions his classmates might ask, and how to answer them.

A buddy system: A buddy is like a peer coach who sits next to the child and prompts him to keep up with note taking and staying on task. It can be great for the buddy, to foster a sense of confidence and pride and to be able to help someone in need, and great for fostering friendship.

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Lo sentimos, la página que usted busca no se ha podido encontrar. Puede intentar su búsqueda de nuevo o visitar la lista de temas populares. Children who have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are plagued with unwanted thoughts, images or impulses that are difficult to suppress, causing them great stress and worry.

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The Clinician's Pathway Program (CPP) and its assessment tools, the CBQ and JJ, were developed by Dr. Demitri Papolos. By clicking the links below you will leave www.jbrf.org and be redirected to the research site that contains the CPP and the CBQ & JJ assessments. If you have any questions or concerns regarding these tools please direct them to Dr. Papolos's system administrator at CPP@drpapolos.com To Set Up a New CPP Account To Access an Existing CPP Account
Scoring for assessments within the CPP is a fee-based service offered by the private practice of Demitri Papolos, M.D.; this service is independent of JBRF but may be accessed through the JBRF website. Dr. Papolos developed the CBQ & JJ measures and their automated scoring report with the support of JBRF. Questions and/or concerns with regard to the scored report should be addressed to CPP@drpapolos.com

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JBRF - Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation

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The Clinician's Pathway Program (CPP) and its assessment tools, the CBQ and JJ, were developed by Dr. Demitri Papolos. By clicking the links below you will leave www.jbrf.org and be redirected to the research site that contains the CPP and the CBQ & JJ assessments.

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ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success 

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ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success 

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American School Counselor Association. (2021). ASCA Student Standards: Mindsets &amp; Behaviors for Student Success K-12 College-, Career- and Life-Readiness Standards for Every Student. schoolcounselor.org. Retrieved July 9, 2022, from https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/7428a787-a452-4abb-afec-d78ec77870cd/Mindsets-Behaviors.pdf

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National Council for Special Education; https://www.sess.ie/categories/emotional-disturbance-andor-behavioural-problems/conduct-disorder/tips-learning-and-teach

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Working to deliver a better special education service

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Addressing Conduct Disorder in Elementary Children

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Addressing Conduct Disorder in Elementary Children

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Demanchick , S. P., Rangan, M., &amp; Douhit, K. (2006). Addressing Conduct Disorder in Elementary School Children:  An Application of the ASCA National Model . Journal of School Counseling , 1–20.

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Gillen , M., Rose , E., &amp; Schwarze , J. A. (2014). Conduct disorder . American Counseling Association Practice Briefs, 1–4.

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Counseling Youth With  Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

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Counseling Youth With  Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

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Stargell, N. A., Barker, L. A., Kress, V. E., &amp; Bullock, M. L. (2017). Counseling youth with  Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). American Counseling Association Practice Briefs, 1–5.

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Disruptive Behavior Disorders: Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Conduct Disorder (CD) fact sheet 

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Disruptive Behavior Disorders: Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Conduct Disorder (CD) fact sheet 

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Minnesota Department of Human Services

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Mental health disorders of childhood and adolescence: Conduct Disorder 

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Mental health disorders of childhood and adolescence: Conduct Disorder 

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KSDE TASN ATBS School Mental Health Initiative

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Children's mental health fact sheet for the classroom 

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Children's mental health fact sheet for the classroom 

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Children's mental health fact sheet for the classroom: Conduct Disorder, Minnesota Association for Children's Mental Health

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Response Ability Initiative . (2015). Disruptive and conduct disorders. Commonwealth of Australia .

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Mental Health Conditions , ADHD1–2 (2015). Arlington , VA; NAMI.

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National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
Division of Human Development and Disability

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder 

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder 

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Response Ability Initiative . (2015). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder . Commonwealth of Australia .

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Comprehensive career exploration tool

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Detailed descriptions of the world-of-work for use by job seekers, workforce development and HR professionals, students, developers, researchers, and more. Individuals can find, search, or browse across 900+ occupations based on their goals and needs. Comprehensive reports include occupation requirements, worker characteristics, and available training, education, and job opportunities.

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16 Personalities

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Personality types

Understand others

In our free type descriptions you'll learn what really drives, inspires, and worries different personality types, helping you build more meaningful relationships.

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Free personality test, type descriptions, relationship and career advice | 16Personalities

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Personality types In our free type descriptions you'll learn what really drives, inspires, and worries different personality types, helping you build more meaningful relationships.

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This is helpful for junior high students to discover the career cluster that interests them most and make a plan for endorsements in high school.

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The Student Interest Survey for Career Clusters is a career guidance tool that allows students to respond to questions and identify the top three Career Clusters of interest based on their responses. This pencil/paper survey takes about fifteen minutes to complete and can be used in the classroom or for presentations with audiences who have an interest in career exploration. The survey is available in English and Spanish-and can be viewed and printed out by clicking on the files below.

The Student Interest Survey for Career Clusters may be used for educational purposes only.

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Student Interest Survey for Career Clusters | Advance CTE

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The Student Interest Survey for Career Clusters is a career guidance tool that allows students to respond to questions and identify the top three Career Clusters of interest based on their responses. This pencil/paper survey takes about fifteen minutes to complete and can be used in the classroom or…

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CTE Resource Center

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Find more information about TX CTE Resource Center

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Work Importance Profiler

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For my IDEAL JOB it is important that:

I could be busy all the time

I could do things for other people

I could try out my own ideas

My pay would compare well with that of other workers

The job would provide an opportunity for advancement

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For my IDEAL JOB it is important that: I could be busy all the time I could do things for other people I could try out my own ideas My pay would compare well with that of other workers The job would provide an opportunity for advancement

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career and post secondary planning

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The Occupational Outlook Handbook is the government's premier source of career guidance featuring hundreds of occupations-such as carpenters, teachers, and veterinarians. Revised annually, the latest version contains employment projections for the 2022-32 decade.

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Extremely Helpful Article on Body Image in Elementary Students 

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Extremely Helpful Article on Body Image in Elementary Students 

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Springer , S. I., &amp; Levitt , D. H. (2016). Eating Issues and Body Image in Elementary School: Detection and  Prevention Strategies for School Counselors. Journal of School Counseling .

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Tips for Teaching Students with Emotional Disturbances 

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Tips for Teaching Students with Emotional Disturbances 

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Kupper , L. (2016). Teaching students with emotional disturbances: 8 tips for teachers. nichcy.org . Retrieved July 20, 2022, from http://www.myschoolpsychology.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/nichcy.org-Teaching_Students_with_Emotional_Disturbances_8_Tips_for_Teachers.pdf

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Teaching Students with Emotional Disturbances 8 Tips for Teachers

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Onset of Anxiety Disorders in Children and Teens 

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Onset of Anxiety Disorders in Children and Teens 

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Pantis, E., Sipos, R., Predescu, E., &amp; Miclutia, I. (2015). Assessment of the risk factors involved in the onset of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. ACTA Medica Transilvanica , 20(4), 19–22.

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Assessment of the Risk Factors Involved in the Onsrt of Anxiety Disorders in Children & Adolescents

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Test Anxiety Interventions for Children and Adolescents

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Test Anxiety Interventions for Children and Adolescents

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von der Embse, N., Barterian, J., &amp; Segool, N. (2012). Test anxiety interventions for children and adolescents: A systematic review of Treatment Studies from 2000-2010. Psychology in the Schools, 50(1), 57–71. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21660

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Test Anxiety Interventions for Children& Adolescents

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Presented at TEPSA by Dr. Donda Slaydon and Britany Crawford