July 26, 2017, VOCM, St. John’s Newfoundland: Anxiety Increasing In Schools, Too Few Supports: Autism Society http://vocm.com/news/anxiety-increasing-in-schools-too-few-supports-autism-society/
More and more children in schools today are dealing with anxiety and there are few supports in place to deal with it. That from the Executive Director of Autism Society, Scott Crocker.
The Premier’s Task Force on Educational Outcomes has concluded that the province’s inclusion model is not working.
Crocker says the needs of students have been falling by the wayside and anxiety is a major issue that has not been addressed from an educational standpoint.
Education Minister Dale Kirby says learning and mental health often go hand in hand and it should come as no surprise that students who are struggling academically would suffer a certain level of anxiety.
He says if a child is in grade six but reading at a grade three reading level, then there’s a good chance the child would feel anxiety being in the classroom.
Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.