Welcome back to Reading the Research, where I trawl
the Internet to find noteworthy research on autism and related subjects,
then discuss it in brief with bits from my own life, research, and
observations.
Today's article underlines the usefulness and effectiveness of having mental health care directly in elementary schools. (Autistic children and adults have a high incidence rate of depressive and anxiety disorders, both of which are included in "mental illness." According to some people, autism is too, but I don't agree with that.) Traditionally, children with these challenges early on are taken out of school, or after school, to go to therapies in professional settings. And that's if they're even noticed at all. This article describes the results of a meta-study, or a study studying studies, on having these services directly inside the school district.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the results of having the care offered directly in the schools were good. Particularly in low-income areas and areas with a lot of minorities. The people in such areas aren't necessarily able to afford the extra costs for transportation or the services themselves, and the stigma of having mental illness can be a huge barrier. Having the services available directly in school, where transportation is provided, attendance is compulsory, and the staff is already familiar and accessible.
The problem with this, of course, is that it puts further strain on a profession that is already stretched much much too far: teachers. While most teachers go into their careers with a mind toward helping their students learn, not everyone is cut out to be a therapist on top of teaching history, science, math, or whatever their specialty is. Nor would everyone want to be a therapist in addition to their specialty. Nor, really, should everyone have to be a therapist on top of being a teacher. Simply being a teacher is challenging enough, as I understand it, between the immense amounts of stress and the lackluster amounts of pay.
And that's just addressing the school professionals aspect... the schools themselves don't necessarily have the money to train all their professionals for these services, let alone the classrooms, materials, and time. Furthermore, it's not enough to simply have once a week therapies for these challenges... The research shows that multiple times a week was the most effective form of therapy, across the board. The authors suggest that schools in low-income communities might partner with existing mental health professionals and services, bringing those organizations to work inside of school. While that might be a viable solution, it does lose the familiarity aspect of having the teachers do the therapy.
Basically, it's a thorny, difficult problem... but unfortunately a very important one. The sooner the mental health challenges are addressed, the better the outcomes for those children. I am not, and never have been, an elementary school teacher, but I suspect such people would have good things to say on the subject.
On a personal note, my depression and anxiety were completely missed as a child, or at least dismissed as not serious enough to require intervention... so naturally they plague me to this day. As an autistic person, though, I can probably safely say that I would have been more likely to attend and make use of school-based services than external services. One of the reasons I make such a big deal about familiarity here is that I've always struggled with names and faces. Having to go someplace new and meet all new people in order to "fix me" would not have been a positive experience for me.
Today's article underlines the usefulness and effectiveness of having mental health care directly in elementary schools. (Autistic children and adults have a high incidence rate of depressive and anxiety disorders, both of which are included in "mental illness." According to some people, autism is too, but I don't agree with that.) Traditionally, children with these challenges early on are taken out of school, or after school, to go to therapies in professional settings. And that's if they're even noticed at all. This article describes the results of a meta-study, or a study studying studies, on having these services directly inside the school district.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the results of having the care offered directly in the schools were good. Particularly in low-income areas and areas with a lot of minorities. The people in such areas aren't necessarily able to afford the extra costs for transportation or the services themselves, and the stigma of having mental illness can be a huge barrier. Having the services available directly in school, where transportation is provided, attendance is compulsory, and the staff is already familiar and accessible.
The problem with this, of course, is that it puts further strain on a profession that is already stretched much much too far: teachers. While most teachers go into their careers with a mind toward helping their students learn, not everyone is cut out to be a therapist on top of teaching history, science, math, or whatever their specialty is. Nor would everyone want to be a therapist in addition to their specialty. Nor, really, should everyone have to be a therapist on top of being a teacher. Simply being a teacher is challenging enough, as I understand it, between the immense amounts of stress and the lackluster amounts of pay.
And that's just addressing the school professionals aspect... the schools themselves don't necessarily have the money to train all their professionals for these services, let alone the classrooms, materials, and time. Furthermore, it's not enough to simply have once a week therapies for these challenges... The research shows that multiple times a week was the most effective form of therapy, across the board. The authors suggest that schools in low-income communities might partner with existing mental health professionals and services, bringing those organizations to work inside of school. While that might be a viable solution, it does lose the familiarity aspect of having the teachers do the therapy.
Basically, it's a thorny, difficult problem... but unfortunately a very important one. The sooner the mental health challenges are addressed, the better the outcomes for those children. I am not, and never have been, an elementary school teacher, but I suspect such people would have good things to say on the subject.
On a personal note, my depression and anxiety were completely missed as a child, or at least dismissed as not serious enough to require intervention... so naturally they plague me to this day. As an autistic person, though, I can probably safely say that I would have been more likely to attend and make use of school-based services than external services. One of the reasons I make such a big deal about familiarity here is that I've always struggled with names and faces. Having to go someplace new and meet all new people in order to "fix me" would not have been a positive experience for me.
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