April is National Autism Awareness Month. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the name for a group of developmental disorders. ASD includes a wide range, “a spectrum,” of symptoms, skills, and levels of disability. Data shows that identification of ASD is on the rise and approximately 1 in 68 children are diagnosed with ASD (1 in 42 boys). People with ASD often have these characteristics:
Below are some resources are learning about ASD
Copyright 2017 Erlanger A. Turner, Ph.D.
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September is designated as Suicide Prevention Awareness month. Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death and is often the result of poorly managed mental health (NAMI, 2016). Below are some facts provided by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). 1. Youth suicide is serious problem. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among school age youth. 2. Suicide is preventable. Youth who are contemplating suicide typically give warning signs of their distress. Most important is to never take these warning signs lightly or promise to keep them secret. 3. Suicide Risk Factors. Certain characteristics are associated with increased suicide risk include:
4. Suicide Warning Signs. Most suicidal youth demonstrate observable behaviors signalling suicidal thinking:
5. There are protective factors that can lessen the effects of risk factors. These can include family and peer support, school and community connectedness, healthy problem-solving skills, and easy access to effective medical and mental health services. 6. Schools have an important role in preventing youth suicide. Children and youth spend the majority of their day in school where caring and trained adults are available to help them. Schools need trained mental health staff and clear procedures for identifying and intervening with students at risk for suicidal behavior. 7. The entire school staff should work to create an environment where students feel safe. School mental health and crisis team members are responsible for conducting suicide risk assessment, warn/inform parents, provide recommendations and referrals to community services, and often provide follow up counseling and support at school. 8. Collaboration between schools and community providers is critical. Establishing partnerships with local community mental health agencies helps connect students to needed services in a timely manner and helps smooth re-entry to school. 9. Never ignore or keep information a secret. Peers should not agree to keep the suicidal thoughts of a friend a secret and instead should tell an adult, such as a parent, teacher, or school psychologist. Parents should seek help from school or community mental health resources as soon as possible. School staff should take the student to the designated school mental health professional or administrator. 10. Get immediate help if a suicide threat seems serious. Call 911 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) Originally written by NASP https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources/school-safety-and-crisis/preventing-youth-suicide Although we have made some progress with race relations in America, we continue to revisit painful experiences. For many parents you are faced with teaching your child at a very young age the reality of being treated different based on the color of their skin. With the recent shootings in Baton Rouge, Falcon Heights, and Dallas, many children have witnessed these events through media or participated in rallies with their families. In light of these incidents, I wanted to share some coping strategies I previously wrote several years ago following similar events. The following tips may be helpful to create resiliency in youth.
Copyright 2016 Erlanger A. Turner, Ph.D. A version of this blog was previously written and posted by Dr. Turner on Psychology Today |
AuthorDr. Turner is a licensed psychologist with expertise in behavioral pediatrics, child mental health, disruptive behavior disorders, and minority mental health. He is also certified as a National Register Health Service Psychologist. Archives
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