Undivided: Helping Kids With Disabilities Manage Anxiety, Stress, & Mental Health
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Mental Health In Children with Disabilities

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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?

Related Parent Questions

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
What is the definition of Emotional Disturbance (ED) 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 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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