The Educator's Guide to Mental Health Issues in the Classroom

An estimated 20% of students have an emotional, behavioral, or mental disorder. Teachers are often the first to notice these problems — and with this reader-friendly guide, they'll have the information they need to help create effective learning environments for children and adolescents and collaborate effectively with mental health providers. Along with a detailed overview of the mental health system and the different types of mental health professionals, education professionals will get separate chapters on 11 specific mental health issues, each describing

• characteristics of the disorder



• ways the disorder might be manifested



• the process for diagnosing the disorder



• types of intervention and treatment



• practical guidelines on working with students who have the disorder

Educators will also find specific strategies for building collaborative partnerships with mental health professionals and families; case studies illustrating successful collaboration; and appendices of definitions, DSM-IV-TR criteria for various disorders discussed in the book, common medications used to treat mental health disorders, and support organizations.

Equally useful for preservice and in-service general and special educators — and for the mental health providers who partner with them — this important book will prepare readers to understand students with mental health disorders and help improve their chances for social and academic success.

Larry B. Silver, M.D., is a child and adolescent psychiatrist in private practice in the Washington, D.C., area. He is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C. Prior to his current work, Dr. Silver was Acting Director and Deputy Director of the National Institute of Mental Health. Previously, he was Professor of Psychiatry, Professor of Pediatrics, and Chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at RobertWood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey. For more than 30 years, Dr. Silver's research, clinical, and teaching interests have focused on the psychological, social, and family impacts of a group of related, neurologically based disorders: learning disabilities, language disabilities, sensory integration dysfunction, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Among his more than 150 publications are the books The Misunderstood Child: Understanding and Coping with Your Child's Learning Disabilities, Third Edition (Times Books, 1998), Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Clinical Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment for Health and Mental Health Professionals, Third Edition (American Psychiatric Publishing, 2004), and Dr. Larry Silver's Advice to Parents on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Second Edition (Times Books, 1999). Dr. Silver also was co-editor of The Educator's Guide to Medical Issues in the Classroom (Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 2001). Dr. Silver is an active member of the Learning Disabilities Association of America, serving as President of the organization. In 1992, he received the Learning Disabilities Association Award, the organization's highest award, for outstanding leadership in the field of learning disabilities. In 1996, he received the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry's Berman Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the study and treatment of learning disabilities.

Frank M. Kline, Ph.D., is Professor and Associate Dean and Director of Teacher Education at Seattle Pacific University in Washington State. He has served at Seattle Pacific University for a number of years in a variety of positions, all related to the preparation of educators. Prior to his positions at Seattle Pacific University, Dr. Kline was Assistant Professor of Special Education at Wichita State University in Kansas. Dr. Kline obtained his doctoral degree from The University of Kansas, where he was a research assistant at the Institute for Research in Learning Disabilities. Dr. Kline has also taught students with learning disabilities at the elementary and secondary levels. Dr. Kline's research interests include collaboration between professional communities. He has written about and surveyed the actual and potential relationships among school personnel, physicians, and mental health workers. Dr. Kline has also written extensively on a number of topics related to educational systems change, learning disabilities, and overall special education issues. Dr. Kline is an active member of the Learning Disabilities Association of America. He serves on the organization's Conference Program Committee and Professional Advisory Board and is co-editor of its publication Learning Disabilities: A Multidisciplinary Journal. In addition, Dr. Kline was co-editor of The Educator's Guide to Medical Issues in the Classroom (Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 2001).