Admitting Students With Severe Mental Health/Emotional Issues

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If what you want is to NOT have “disruptive” kids in class, maybe go to the special needs boards and see which schools parents are complaining about or being warned away from, and look into those.

op is clearly very insensitive and may be a troll but when people are scrimping and saving to get he best school situation for their particular child it’s legit to think some kids would have a better experience in a situation where there isn’t someone having a melt down every day. I mean, would you feel more or less stressed if your work was disrupted on the regular by loud screaming and crying? pretending kids can’t be affected by that is not helping anyone’s mental health.

OP did not say there were meltdowns and screaming and crying. Lots of kids have mental health issues. That is a different thing than disruptive behavior in the classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:During the application process, do schools ask about mental health issues? We are at a smallish school and of the girls in my daughters class, at least half have admitted to having extreme mental health/emotional issues - ie, they are on more than one type of medication for a variety of disorders and lots of therapy. Because this is a small school, it really changes the dynamic of the classroom when this number of students is that unstable and is always “working through something”. It can be uncomfortable and puts people on edge. I think this is even more exacerbated with girls, given the drama that already naturally accompanies teenage-hood.

So do schools/does your school ask about past or current mental health issues during the application process?

Careful not to judge. The two most judgy parents I know who always talked as if their kids were perfect are dealing with the worst things right now - one had a teen boy and other has a teen girl.

They always thought they were exempt and in reality their kids turned out to have the worst hidden issues of all

I don't mind if other students have "hidden" issues. That is their parents headache. I have problems with "Not Hidden" issues of other kids that is disruptive for my children. If these kids with problems are secretly being bulimic or cutting themselves? Well, RIP to them. If they are smashing things in the classroom and screaming on the floor - take them out of the classroom!!

- DP.

Damn. You went there. But I agree with you.

NP. As do I.

Someone — how about one of the “gross” posters — please explain why anyone is obligated to accept a disruptive, substandard environment that is entirely optional? As in, the disrupters remain enrolled at the discretion of the administration?

The kid who upended my DS’s k-8 grade for years due to his uncontrolled conduct disorder was finally made to leave in about 5th grade. It was a game changer.

You can have compassion and understanding for these kids without being required to be a sacrificial martyr with your own kid’s education and your $45k annual tuition. Nope.

I agree too. I also wonder if any of the “gross” posters would ever send one of their kids to a title 1 school. Or wouldn’t they want their kids around those types of disruptive kids?

[Anonymous]

Well, if Op doesn’t want her child to be in classes with kids who have mental health issues, she can wait until her child is 18 and is classmates with a plethora of kids with anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. Tons of them in top colleges.

The point is that this issue is not going away. It is a problem throughout the country with our young people. In fact, it may also strike your child one day too so don’t be so smug that this is a problem with ‘other people’s children.’

[Anonymous]

I can sympathize with OP. If they’re a lack of balance of kids, it can be detrimental to all of them, including the ones who have the mental health issues or the ones who are borderline.