June 20, 2018, (Ireland) Independent: Primary schools struggle to help suicidal children 'as young as four https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/primary-schools-struggle-to-help-suicidal-children-as-young-as-four-37029432.html Primary schools are dealing with very young children with serious mental health difficulties including self-harming and suicidal thoughts, according to a new study. The findings have sparked calls for the urgent establishment of a nationwide primary schools' counselling service to provide professional back-up to principals and teachers dealing with pupils in distress. Family issues and relationship breakdowns were cited as the most common underlying causes for distress in children. Up to a quarter of school principals also reported the occurrence of a "critical" incident in their school, varying from a bomb scare to suicide to murder. … According to the principals, family breakdown and a chaotic home life sometimes left young children upset or refusing to attend school. Principals also reported feeling ill-equipped to respond to the complexity of children's needs and the burden now sees a third of schools providing on-site counselling on an ad-hoc basis. "We know that addressing children's psychological difficulties enhances their learning experience, but the extent and range of difficulties that children are presenting with in school needs urgent attention, not only to improve their educational chances but to help them deal with their emotional struggles." Paul Gilligan, CEO for St Patrick's Mental Health Services, said research suggested that one in three Irish children younger than 13 experienced mental health difficulties. "This report shows that mental health supports in school are vital. Now, more than ever, children are dealing with complex and challenging issues which have a significant effect on their well-being. …
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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.
Anne Dachel, Media editor, Age of Autism
http://www.ageofautism.com/media/
(John Dachel, Tech. assist.)
What will happen in another 4 years? How can we go on like this? This is a national (and international) problem of monumental proportions. We have an entire new class of children who cannot be accommodated by the system: many are manifestly neurologically impaired. Meanwhile, the government and the medical profession sleep on regardless.
John Stone,
UK media editor, Age of Autism
The generation of American children born after 1990 are arguably the sickest generation in the history of our country.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
It seemed to me that with rising autism prevalence, you’d also see rising autism costs to society, and it turns out, the costs are catastrophic.
They calculated that in 2015 autism cost the United States $268 billion and they projected that if autism continues at its current rate, we’re looking at one trillion dollars a year in autism costs by 2025, so within five years.
Toby Rogers, PhD, Political economist
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