As a parent of a child who is suffering from any mental illness, it can be extremely distressing and frustrating to see your child moving down in his life. But with effective practical strategies, you can advocate child’s mental health by school navigation. Children with mental issues have to struggle more in their school as well as in other fields of their lives. They have difficulty paying attention in their classroom. Moreover, they are also unable to remember the instructions of their teachers and remember important things. Other than academic issues, they have to grapple with multiple emotional and behavioral challenges. They also face difficulty in sustaining their relationships.
Overall, their entire life is severely affected due to their mental abnormalities. But there is nothing to worry about as all emotional and behavioral issues can be addressed. There are some top tips and strategies that parents can utilize to advocate for their child’s mental health. It is extremely essential to navigate the school system if you want to see your child flourish in academics and all other fields of life. By reading this article thoroughly, you can get complete insight regarding the navigation of the school system and your child’s interests, strengths, and all other capabilities that your child needs to excel in both academic and personal life.
What are the Ways to Navigate the School System of your child?
There are multiple ways to navigate the school system of your child but the most reliable and common are as follows:
Communicate with your child’s teacher
After the parents, teachers are the major caretakers of the children. Their main responsibility is not only to teach the child but also to analyze their mental state and behavior. Therefore, you should first talk with their teachers so they can share their observations regarding their academic performance. During the classroom, teachers can closely monitor the behavior of children that how they learn and even treat with their class fellows. Based on their analysis, they can share their analysis report with the parents and provide complete information regarding their strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, they can also better understand what are the main areas of challenges that they face and how they are losing in their academic field. Therefore, effective communication between the parents and teachers is significant to navigating the school system and implementing the finest therapeutic strategies to treat the mental health issues of children.
Ensure the documentation
Another important strategy to navigate the school system is to ensure the documentation. Although school systems are complicated, you can advocate for your child’s mental health by focusing on each aspect of the educational system. As a parent, you should act as a record keeper during every meeting session with the academic staff. Whenever you are in discussion with their teachers, you should note all the things such as who you spoke to as well as the time and duration, etc. Moreover, you should ask their teachers to provide you with their report cards so whenever you need them, you will have all the necessary documents with you. You can later make an in-depth analysis and get familiar with what is lacking for your child’s mental health and better school performance.
Know your child’s rights
There is a specialized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in the USA that is based on the child’s rights concerning their education access, facilities as well as accommodations. If your child is diagnosed with a mental health issue or any disability then this act is imposed on him. Therefore, you should be familiar with all rights. If you want to advocate for your child’s mental health then first educate yourself with all rights. Ultimately, you will get familiar that your child’s academic or other associated needs are fulfilling or not.
Ask the school for an evaluation
Evaluation is significant to determine the multiple factors including the child’s mental state, strengths, weaknesses as well as other requirements. Every school system should have a specialized evolution system that works best for each child. However, if you ever think that your child’s school is not having this process and you are concerned about their effective growth and development then you should request an evaluation. You should never feel hesitate or be afraid of your request as it’s your child’s right to get the best services and enjoy sound mental health.
Utilize your resources
Your child’s school system doesn’t need to provide the desired support, resources as well as accommodation that is essential for their mental health. In that case, you can better identify what is good for your child. Moreover, you can also find all the lacking factors. Concerning this issue, you can discuss it with the school staff. There is a probability of conflict in the discussion. So then you can utilize your resources to better advocate for your child’s mental health.
Be a listener to your child
Communication with the teachers and caretakers is good but your child’s thought regarding the school system matters a lot. Create a secure and friendly environment so your children speak their hearts out without any fear. Show some empathy and understanding towards your child. Ask your child about the school system. Initially, you have to develop your trust by asking some general questions like this:
- Do you like your school’s environment?
- Do you feel happiness in your school?
- How many friends do you have in your school?
- Which teacher is your favorite and why?
After getting the answers to such questions, move towards the complicated and most demanding questions which are as follows:
- What is the most challenging part of your day in your school?
- How do you feel about your classmates?
- What do you think your curriculum is good for you or not?
Based on the answers to all questions, you can decide what you can do to better advocate for your child’s mental health.
Prioritize your child’s interest
Always remember that as a parent you should not implement your own decisions on your child. You should remember that children have their interests. They only feel happy when they do what they want. So you should first determine your child’s interests and requirements by communicating with them. With the psychological evaluation, you can get an idea that on which accommodations they feel comfortable with. You should analyze their decision and then decide accordingly. In any case, if you find that they are not making the right decision then you can also share the alternative with them. Moreover, due to integrated confidence, your child will also become capable of self-advocating and employing the available accommodations.
Brainstorming to find solutions
Not any person has the responsibility to identify the challenges that your child faces in school and then find the solutions. If you are the parent then you should come forward to resolve your child’s issues. Children can encounter multiple challenges in the school environment but fortunately can get recover with the best solutions. Parents should focus on identifying as well as developing strategic plans to navigate the school system and then employing remarkable solutions for the child’s mental health.
Develop self-advocacy skills in your child
Protecting your child should be your priority but giving them wings should never be ignored. Teach your child different skills including self-advocacy and other associated skills. Raise the confidence of your child so they can openly ask and share different things related to their academic and personal life. Show your child that you are always available for support so whenever they feel that they are in trouble, they can communicate with you and then utilize their skills to overcome all the challenges of mental health and fulfill their needs.
Regular check-ins
Dedicate some time to your children. Make a regular schedule to closely analyze your child’s mental health. Decide a day and visit your child’s school to get information about their school experiences. Make a plan of trip so you get some time to talk with them. Make them feel secure so they share everything regarding their school and personal life. Moreover, you should make sure to provide early intervention whenever you find that your child is dealing with any mental illness.
Stop projecting your needs on your child
There are various mental health issues and disabilities that have genetic components. Genes are transferred among generations and cause the onset of mental issues. So it does not mean that your child is the only one who has a mental disability. If you have been the victim of any mental issue or disability then you can better understand the resemblance between your child’s issues and those that you have faced. But do not implement your ideas until you get the confirmation. After that, if confirmed then provide your support to be an advocate for your child’s mental health.
How Brainpower can help you in advocating for your child’s mental health?
Brainpower Wellness Institute is a leading mental health platform that is committed to empowering the mind of each individual. However, if you are a parent then we understand that you are more concerned with your child’s mental health. If your child is suffering from any common mental health issue including anxiety, depression, ADHD or OCD then stop worrying or striving and simply get our professional assistance. Our mental health experts retain the specialization of diagnosis and treatment of all common mental health issues in children. If you want to analyze your child’s behavior by navigating the school system then we can provide you the ideal professional support. You will get familiar with all strategies to advocate for your child’s mental health. So feel free to communicate with our experts and give your child mental freedom from all common mental health issues.
Related Topics
A Parent’s Guide to Managing Anxiety in Children
