Depression / Mental Illness

[DoggyJ0525]

At 14, my daughter was diagnosed with Major Depression and OCD, as well as social anxiety and school anxiety. I tried for almost a year to work with the school, and was finally told by an assistant principle that "if she were physically handicapped or mentally challanged, we could help her. But we're just not set up to deal with kids like your daughter." We tried a charter school, then home schooling, then finally found another charter school that could work with her limitations. Also, we found the right combination of medication that began to alleviate her symptoms. If childhood / adolescent depression is such an epidemic in our country, then why aren't the schools doing anything to address the problem?

[fiesty_leo79]

I have found that unless your child has an obvious disability or ADHD the schools do not have the time nor the compassion to deal with children outside of the cookie cutter. We have been fighting with my son's school for 3 years, and finally stumbled upon a child psychologist who is making ground and helping us understand our child. If all children are entitled to equal education why is that when the teacherr gets frustrated with my child he is made to go to the office or ISS, so that she can teach the other children without distraction? That hardly seems like 'no child is being left behind.' Rather than addressing the problem and trying to work with my child, he is being pushed aside for the greater good of the other children. Schools need be able to handle any type of child or at least make an effort to learn about the child's disorder and unique needs rather than branding them as a problem.