How to

identify and
help students
with mental
illness
By: Kali Hopkins and
Audrey Kahrs
1 in 5 youth (21.4%)
Experience some kind of severe mental illness at some point in their life.

NAMI
 50.6%
Of children with a mental health condition received health services within the last
year.

NAMI
 Half of all chronic
illness begins by the
age of 14
NAMI
 37%
Of students with a mental illness will end up dropping out of school.

NAMI
 Suicide is the 10th
leading cause of death
for those with a mental
illness between the ages
of 10-34 NAMI
Some possible signs of mental illnesses:
● Excessive worrying or fear
● Feeling excessively sad or low
● Confused thinking or problems
concentrating and learning
● Extreme mood changes, including
uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of
euphoria
● Prolonged or strong feelings of irritability
or anger
● Avoiding friends and social activities
● Difficulties understanding or relating to
other people
● Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired
and low energy
● Changes in eating habits such as
increased hunger or lack of appetite
● Difficulty perceiving reality
● Inability to perceive changes in one’s own
feelings, behavior or personality
● Abuse of substances like alcohol or drugs
● Multiple physical ailments without obvious
causes (such as headaches, stomach
aches, vague and ongoing “aches and
pains”)
● Thinking about suicide
● Inability to carry out daily activities or
handle daily problems and stress
● An intense fear of weight gain or concern
with appearance
NAMI
Symptoms related specifically to children:
● Changes in school performance
● Excessive worry or anxiety, for
instance fighting to avoid bed or
school
● Hyperactive behavior
● Frequent nightmares
● Frequent disobedience or aggression
● Frequent temper tantrums

NAMI
Physical/Mental Limitations:
● Handling time pressures and multiple
● Difficulty with medication side effects:
tasks: difficulty managing assignments,
side-effects of psychiatric medications include
prioritizing tasks, and meeting deadlines.
drowsiness, fatigue, dry mouth and thirst,
● Interacting with others: difficulty getting
blurred vision, hand tremors, slowed
along, fitting in, contributing to group work,
response time etc.
and reading social cues.
● Screening out environmental stimuli: an
● Fear of authority figures
inability to block out sounds, sights, or odors
● Responding to negative feedback: difficulty
that interfere with focusing on tasks.
understanding and correctly interpreting
● Sustaining concentration: restlessness,
criticism or poor grades.
shortened attention span, distraction, and
● Responding to change: difficulty coping with
difficulty understanding or remembering
unexpected changes in coursework,
verbal directions.
● Severe test anxiety: the individual is
● Maintaining stamina: difficulty sustaining
rendered emotionally and physically unable
enough energy; combating drowsiness due to
to take an exam.
medications.

Washington EDU
Classroom Accommodations
● Notetaker or photocopy of another
● Preferential seating, especially
student's notes.
near the door to allow leaving
● Early availability of syllabus and
class for breaks.
textbooks.
● Assigned classmate as volunteer
● Availability of course materials
assistant (support person)
(lectures, handouts) on disk.
● Beverages permitted in class.
● Private feedback on academic
● Prearranged or frequent breaks.
performance.
● Tape recorder use.
● Support animal
● Flexible schedule

Washington EDU
Test Accommodations
● Exams in alternate format (e.g.,
from multiple choice to essay;
oral, presentation, role-play, or
portfolio).
● Use of assistive computer
software
● Extended time for test taking.
● Exams individually proctored,
including in the hospital.
● Exam in a separate, quiet, and
non-distracting room.
● Increased frequency of exams.
Washington EDU
Assignment Accommodations
● Substitute assignments in specific
circumstances.
● Advance notice of assignments.
● Permission to submit assignments
handwritten rather than typed.
● Extended time to complete
assignments.
● Written assignments in lieu of oral
presentations or vice versa.
● Assignments completed in dramatic
formats (e.g., demonstration,
role-play, and sculpture).
Washington EDU