Signs of Distress
Here are some signs of distress that teachers and staff often notice. These signs are meaningful on their own and especially meaningful if they’re a change from the student’s past behavior.
Behavioral:
- Trouble concentrating, easily distracted
- Withdrawal and isolation
- Physical complaints, like headaches and stomachaches
- Lack of energy, loss of interest in activities
- Repetitive play that re-enacts a traumatic event
- Self-destructive behaviors, like skin picking
- Deceitfulness, theft, or property destruction
Emotional:
- Irritability, aggression, or anger
- Crying or having emotional outbursts
- Persistent/excessive fear of separating from parents; school refusal
- Nervous or easily startled, clingy
- Low self-esteem and negative self-talk
- Sadness, guilt, shame, or fear
Academic:
- Refusal to complete assignments or comply with rules and requests
- Careless errors or impulsive choices on assignments
- Decline in academic performance
- Extreme nervousness around academics/excessive worry about getting everything right
- Forgetful of tasks and materials
- Frequent absences from school
Appearance:
- Disheveled or worsening appearance, lack of cleanliness
- Gaining or losing a lot of weight
- Appearing very tired
JACKIE: Trust your instincts. You often just know when a student is struggling, when it’d be beneficial to talk to the student or their parent for more information, and when to reach out to colleagues at your school to make a plan for support.
So how can this program help? This transcript of the simulation features example conversations between a teacher and a parent and a teacher and a student. The teacher will bring up what they’ve noticed, ask questions to better understand their student’s behavior, and if appropriate refer the student to mental health resources within the school.
Most educators will complete this simulation in 1 hour. Now let’s get started!
