Mental Health Issues in the Classroom: Practical Strategies for Helping Children and Adolescents Succeed

CPD

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Speaker

Nicolle Carr, PhD Related seminars and products

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R. Nicolle Carr, PhD, has served as a Director of Clinic Services for in-clinic ABA services, as an assistant clinical director at a residential program, and as a consultant for school districts regarding classroom management and individual student needs. She ran the ABA program at the University of Oklahoma for four years and her online teaching load includes courses on psychology, development, neuroscience/cognition, and behavior analysis for a variety of colleges and universities across the United States. Dr. Carr earned her Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience/psychology from the University of Texas, Austin in 2001 and has been a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst since 2008. Dr. Carr served as the secretary of the Society for Behavioral Neuroscience and Comparative Psychology of the American Psychological Association and the Ethics Special Interest Group for the Association for Behavioral Analysis International as well as the founder of the Oklahoma Association of Behavior Analysts (OKABA) and its yearly conference. She has published two books; one for teachers on the use of ABA in schools and one on ethics within behavior analysis.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Nicolle Carr has employment relationships with the KidsChoice Therapy and Play Center. She receives compensation as a instructor with online universities and royalties as a published author.. Dr. Carr receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Nicolle Carr is a member of the Applied Behavior Analysis International.

Objectives

1. Articulate how behavioural-driven choices differ from mental health-driven behaviours and characterize how these differences inform your choice of intervention.
2. Communicate the effective uses of medications and potential side effects that can appear as misbehaviours.
3. Implement various school-based strategies, used in collaboration with community clinicians, to intervene when behavioural issues arise from mental health conditions.
4. Determine effective positive behaviour support strategies to successfully discipline the special needs child.
5. Discriminate how IDEA relates to mental health issues and discipline.
6. Apply communication techniques that create a climate for success inside and outside the classroom.

Outline

Students with Mental Health Issues

• Characteristics of at-risk students’ mental health problems
• Mental health issues vs. intentionally disruptive behaviours
• How skill deficits from mental health issues create behavioural difficulties

Strategies for ODD and Conduct Disorder Behaviours

• Choices everyone can live with
• What adults should never say, but usually do
• Arguments with defiant kids
• Getting to the core issues of ODD
• Kids who don’t feel bad
• School-wide management program

Strategies for ADHD

• Decrease impulsive behaviours with what YOU do
• Drawing out the behaviours you want
• Decrease disruption to other students
• Know the accompanying behaviours
• Techniques to self-regulate

Strategies for ASD

• It’s all about social skills growth
• Sensory solutions
• Self-regulation techniques for ASD
• Most misinterpreted behaviours
• Manage high interest areas
• Move them past “kid cop” behaviours

Strategies for Anxiety

• What to do about separation anxiety
• Help their panic attack pass quickly
• School phobia … not always a fear of school
• Compromises that work
• Deep breathing and relaxation techniques

Strategies for Depression

• School-wide program to promote compassion and a supportive culture
• Getting them past their sense of helplessness
• When they think they have nothing to live for
• Goal oriented plans for schoolwork and school day

Strategies for Other Challenging Behaviours

• Cutting and self-injury: What you really need to know to effectively intervene
• Electronic addiction: Which kids are most susceptible and why
• Psychotropic medication side-effects vs. behavioural issues
• Electronic bullying: What adults tell kids that fuels the problem

Disciplining the Special Needs Child/Adolescent

• How IDEA relates to discipline
• Rules for disciplining special education students
• Techniques for positive behaviour support
• ”Pro-social” punishments

Strategies for the IEP Team

• Functional behavioural assessment simplified
• Facts and data to make tactical decisions
• Effective collaboration among educators AND clinicians
• What most administrators do that burn out their staff
• What to do about non cooperative/reluctant parents

Target Audience

• Speech-Language Pathologists
• Speech-Language Pathology Assistants
• Teachers & Paraprofessionals
• School Counselors
• School Psychologists
• School Administrators
• School Social Workers
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Nurses
• Occupational Therapists
• Occupational Therapy Assistants
• Addiction Professionals
• Probation Officers
• All professionals working in child care settings, therapy settings, treatment programs, hospitals, juvenile justice facilities, foster care, and more.

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