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Mental Health

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Overview

Being a kid can be tough sometimes — and that’s before considering all the aspects of extra doctor’s visits, therapies, and other unique stressors that our kids face. Here are some resources to help support our kids’ mental and emotional health.

How can I support my child's mental health through crisis and every day?

Read our four-part guide:

  • Get an overview of mental health in kids with disabilities, co-occurring disorders, biases, identifying signs and symptoms of issues to address, diagnosis, building a mental health team, and more in our article Mental Health for Kids with Disabilities 101.

  • Explore treatment options that can support your child, including psychological assessments, therapy, emergency hospitalization, residential treatment, medication, and more in our article Mental Health Treatment Options for Children and Teens with Disabilities.

  • Read our parent tips and step-by-step instructions for addressing self-harm and suicide; crisis hotlines and resources; tips to support kids with depression, anxiety, and OCD; different ways to support kids’ mental health daily, such as conversation, positive coping strategies, recommended reading, and more in our article Supporting Kids' Mental Health at Home and in Crisis.

  • Learn more about navigating the school system, how to qualify for mental health services in IEP and 504 plans, types of mental health services offered at school, and more in our article How IEPs and 504 Plans Help Support Mental Health in School.

Watch our Undivided Conversation with licensed psychologist and founder of CARE-LA, Dr. Lauren Stutman, Psy.D. In our new series, Undivided Conversations, we spoke with Dr. Stutman to give us tips, advice, and answer our heavier questions about mental health and kids with disabilities, and all the ways we can support them as parents. Watch the full video on our YouTube page!

Contents

Overview
How can I support my child's mental health through crisis and every day?
What can I do to help my child manage anxiety?
How can I help my child cope with changes?

Mental Health Basics

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Mental Health for Kids with Disabilities 101
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Mental Health Treatment Options for Children and Teens with Disabilities
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Supporting Kids' Mental Health at Home and in Crisis

School Supports

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How IEPs and 504 Plans Help Support Mental Health in School
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Bullying and Kids with Disabilities
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Managing Back-to-School Stress and Anxiety: Tips from 4 Anxiety Specialists at CARE-LA

Managing Stress and Anxiety

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How to Ease Our Kids’ Anxieties: Strategies from Dr. Lauren Stutman
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How to Navigate Stress and Anxiety: Tips from Therapist Diane Simon Smith
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Helping Our Kids Cope with a Change in Providers

Related Parent Questions

Parent Question
How can I help my child work through trauma?
Trauma is a natural response to a perceived or actual threat. A therapist dives into the varying levels of trauma tolerance, and how big and little traumas can appear in children across differing developmental stages in unique ways.
Parent Question
How can I help my child manage overwhelming feelings?
Validating your child’s feelings makes them feel heard and understood. It will never be perfect, but there is always room to rectify the situation and show your child how to recognize and correct mistakes.
Parent Question
What breathing exercise can I teach my child to help manage anxiety?
The fight or flight response occurs within the sympathetic nervous system. With this 4-7-8 breathing exercise, we can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the relaxation response in our body.
Parent Question
How do I help my child handle stress?
Stress and heightened anxiety activate the amygdala in the limbic system, the fight-or-flight area of the brain. Sometimes this means kids run away (flight) or shut down (freeze), or they can push back or become agitated (fight). Here's how to help prevent the fight-or-flight response.
Parent Question
How do I talk to my kids about difficult topics?
Parents can be overwhelmed when trying to answer their children's questions about tough topics. Here are the things to keep in mind when talking to kids about things that are difficult or adverse.
Parent Question
What is Emotional Disturbance as a qualifying disability in special education?
Emotional Disturbance (ED) is a broad category signifying mental health needs. The following may be considered ED or OHI (Other Health Impairment): Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Schizophrenia. This may make a child eligible for an IEP.

Related Video Clips

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Navigating Differences in Familial and Societal Values
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Helping Children Get Through Hard Days
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Helping Children Navigate Stress
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Creating a Safe Space For Your Child
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How to Help Children Make Sense of Difficult Events
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What to Do When Your Child is Overwhelmed

Related Topic Decoders

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Therapies
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Family Life
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Disability Culture and Advocacy
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Supporting Therapies and Education at Home
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Therapy at Home
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Behavioral Intervention Therapies
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Author

Brittany OlsenUndivided Editor

An editor and cartoonist who loves using words and images to simplify and share ideas. She has ten years of experience as a copy editor and lives near Portland, Oregon. She often spends her free time going on nature walks with her dog or trying new bread recipes.

Reviewed by

Jennifer Drew, Undivided Senior Editor

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