Students with either physical or mental health conditions – including anxiety or depression – are eligible to develop a formalized 504 plan with their school system.
What is a 504 plan?Ī 504 plan is a plan created for a child identified with a disability that ensures they receive accommodations to be successful at school. Plus, school counselors can assist families in identifying and setting up accommodations, such as 504 plans, to help children with anxiety or depression manage their school day more successfully. These school personnel can serve as a frontline resource to help direct you to mental health providers in your area who can offer treatment or counseling for your child. If you believe your child is struggling with anxiety or depression, talk to their school counselor or social worker. What can parents do to help students with mental health conditions in school? Their motivation suddenly gets lower and lower, and they may start having behavioral issues in class," Fayson says.
"Parents may notice their child is suddenly withdrawing from extracurricular activities or they have missing or incomplete assignments. Sometimes kids will suddenly start to get in trouble or cause disruptions in class, too. Interacting with their teachers or peers may also feel challenging. Students dealing with anxiety or depression may find it difficult to concentrate in class.
How can anxiety or depression affect school performance? These could be signs of depression or anxiety. Parents should be aware of sudden changes in their child’s behavior or mood – including loss of interest in activities, angry outbursts, shifts in appetite or slipping grades. How do I know if my child is dealing with anxiety or depression? Fayson explains different accommodations for mental health conditions and ways to help. While parents of children with physical health conditions may be aware that they can request school accommodations, parents of children with mental health conditions may not know that they can take actions to support their child at school. "Or when they go to school, they may frequently go to the nurse or the counselor's office complaining of physical sicknesses or panic attack symptoms." "Children who are dealing with anxiety or depression may start refusing to go to school or say they have a headache or a stomach ache," explains Talia Fayson, M.Ed., School Services Case Manager at Children's Health℠. However, for children dealing with anxiety, depression or other mental health concerns, just getting through a school day can feel overwhelming. Managing school demands – from classwork and tests to social interactions and extracurricular activities – can feel challenging for any child from time to time.