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More emotional support needed from schools for ADHD, behavioral issues
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Parents did not believe that public schools provide enough emotional support and counseling to children who need it, according to the results of a survey conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan.
More than 1,000 parents were asked to give their children’s schools a grade from A to F on how they think the schools handle students with behavioral and emotional issues including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and family issues.
Only 37% of parents gave elementary schools an A for supporting children with ADHD. Also, 34% of parents gave elementary schools an A for supporting children with emotional problems. High schools fared worse in the survey, with 22% of parents indicating that secondary schools provide enough support for emotional, behavioral and family issues.
“According to national estimates, about 20% of school-aged children need formal mental health services related to conditions like autism, ADD, depression and eating disorders,” study researcher Matthew Davis, MD, an associate professor of pediatrics and internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School, said in a press release.
“As many as 50% of children need emotional support to deal with difficulties in family, peer or other relationships. Our findings indicate that parents think schools are doing better with educational goals than with emotional and behavioral support.”
Davis suggested that parents should communicate about emotional, peer or family concerns to teachers and administrators in their children’s schools because these issues can affect a child’s academic performance and the ability to learn in school.
Davis M. The C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. 2010;8:5.