I worry about a student, but how do I know what is going on?

Teachers want their students to learn and do well in school. But being a teacher is hard work. Teachers teach lessons, help students grow academically, support their social development, give extra help when needed, and more. They often do this for many classes of students, year after year.

Teachers usually know what is normal for the age group they are teaching and what is not. They use their curriculum, benchmarks, and regular progress checks to make sure students are learning the right skills. Even with all this information, it can sometimes be hard for a teacher to figure out if a student is having a problem that needs special help. If this sounds like your situation, this guide is for you.

What is typical development?

Growing up is not easy. All children show behaviors that can cause stress and problems as part of normal development. They have to learn many things such as walking, talking, understanding feelings, socializing with others, and knowing what behaviors are right in different situations. Because there’s so much to learn, kids might have trouble and delays in learning some skills, dealing with emotions, and acting the right way all the time.

If some difficulties are typical, when should I beconcerned a problem may be present?

Knowing what is normal or not is not easy. But here are five things that can help:

– Frequency. It’s a concern if emotions or behaviors happen so often that they interfere with life. For example, it’s normal to worry sometimes, but worrying all the time might be a problem.

– Intensity. Most kids show mild emotional or behavioral problems. For example, little kids might have small tantrums, and teens might be moody. But if their behavior causes harm or is very extreme, it’s a concern.

– Duration. It’s normal to be upset for a short time after something bad happens. But if the anger or sadness lasts for days, it might be a problem.

– Context. Behaviors often happen because of things around us. A tantrum after stopping a favorite activity is more normal than a tantrum for no clear reason.

– Uncommon behaviors/experiences. Some behaviors, like self-injury or hearing voices that others cannot hear, are always a concern and need immediate attention.

– Impairment. The most important rule is to see if the behavior affects the child’s daily life. Behaviors that interfere with school, friends, family time, or fun are more likely to be a problem than behaviors that do not cause these issues.

What are concerns about children and adolescents?

Concerns about children and teenagers usually fall into three main groups:

1. Learning Development. These concerns show up early and include problems learning skills like reading, writing, math, and communicating.

2. Emotions. These concerns can start early or later, like in teenage years, and include intense fears, anxiety, sadness, or anger, often leading to avoiding fun activities.

3. Behaviors. These concerns can also start early or in teenage years and include not following rules or social norms, leading to inappropriate or rule-breaking behavior.

Below is a list of common concerns about children and adolescents. The guides in this package will cover all these problems in detail and provide more information and help when needed.