Back to School for Kids with Behavioral Troubles
Many children have behavioral problems which make school a challenge for the child, parents, and teachers. Each school year presents challenges such as adjusting to new school schedules, working with new teachers, and getting homework done. A variety of mental health resources offer tips to help the child, parents, and teacher during school. Information from these resources can be helpful for children with mental disorders as well as children without. The following is an overview of tips provided by the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities.
-Parent-Teacher Relationship- It is extremely important for the parents and teacher to have a good relationship. Your child’s teacher is very influential on their school experience. Visiting with the teacher before the start of school to let them know about any concerns or difficulties with your child would be beneficial. Staying in contact with the child’s teacher throughout the school year is extremely important as well. Communication between the parent and teacher can be brief such as a note to say how things are going. Perhaps a home report card would be helpful with items like: is school work being successfully completed, did the child follow rules today, and is the child getting along well with others.
-Homework- A study buddy can be very effective in helping a child remember what assignments they are to do. Have the study buddy’s phone number on hand in case your child needs verification on their assignment or has a question. Setting a specific time to complete homework can be useful as well. For longer assignments, it may be of benefit to break it into separate parts with mini-breaks in between. The mini-break can be seen as a reward for completing a specific amount of homework.
-Changing problematic behaviors- Often a problematic behavior may arise at home or school which needs to be addressed. The first step in changing the behavior would be defining it in a positive manner. Have your child working toward a desired behavior instead of saying to them they have to change a problem. For example, instead of constantly being upset with your child for forgetting their homework assignment, have them work toward a week without forgetting a homework assignment. It is important to set a reasonable goal. Start small so your child can feel a sense of accomplishment. Working toward a goal is often effective. Immediate rewards and consequences take the question out of the situation for the child. An immediate reward would be saying daily “I really like how you remembered your school books today” and possibly receiving a sticker or piece of candy. The child can then work toward a longer term goal such as an extended bedtime for remembering assignments all week.
There are a variety of resources available with tips like these to help children and parents with issues that may hinder success in school. The library, as well as the internet, provides resources on helping your child. If you feel that your child is displaying more severe behavior problems, contact Heartland Human Services at (217) 347-7179.