MH3 - Signs of Mental Health Struggles in Children
It’s not always easy to tell when a child with a learning disability is having a hard time with their mental health. Sometimes it’s hard for them to explain how they are feeling and sometimes they don’t know what it is that is making them feel that way.
Mental health struggles can often look more like behaviour problems and the two are often confused. The signs that a child is having trouble with mental health aren’t always clear. It’s important to know what is normal for your child so you can note changes from that norm. A change in behaviour from their usual can show that something might be going on with their mental health. The signs of a child’s mental health struggles can also be shown internally or externally. The chart below shows different signs of mental struggles.
References
Duggan, L., Lockwood, A., Marshall, M., & Raghavan, R.(2004). Assessing the needs of people with learning disabilities and mental illness: development of the Learning Disability version of the Cardinal Needs Schedule. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 48(1), 25-36. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2004.00587.x
Peerce, L. (2017). Learning disabilities and mental health. Nursing Standard, 31(27), 5.
Perras, C. (2015, February 18). Learning disabilities and mental health. Retrieved 2017-12 from https://www.ldatschool.ca/learning-disabilities-and-mental-health/