Projects

We don’t realize that managing strong emotions is a skill, not an inherent trait, and needs to be taught. This presentation will help nurses, counselors, and other school staff learn how to:
• Help children learn to recognize their internal states
• Practice behaviors which can modulate their energy level and emotions, and then
• Develop a plan to use these new skills to better self-regulate in order to improve their ability to stay in class

Anxiety in schools poses particular difficulties, as the symptoms interfere with students’ ability to remain in class, or even in school. As school staff and families struggle to support these students, they often find themselves with contradictory approaches. This presentation, designed for those who are already familiar with anxiety disorders, will help nurses, counselors, and other school staff learn to:
• Describe how to recognize and screen for anxiety disorders among your students.
• Describe current therapeutic approaches and medications used to treat anxiety.
• Describe appropriate school accommodations to increase access to education for students with anxiety.
• Develop individual plans and school policies to address school refusal in an effective and collaborative manner.

ADHD is among the most common issue encountered by school nurses, and diagnosis of it is on the rise. This presentation will help nurses, counselors, and other school staff learn:
• How to recognize and screen for ADHD among your students
• Behavioral and environmental approaches to improving the performance of children with ADHD
• Current medications used to treat ADHD
• How to appreciate the potential advantages of some aspects of ADHD.

Anxiety is the most prevalent mental illness in America, and has been increasing, particularly among our youth. Symptoms of anxiety are often difficult to recognize, and are easily mistaken for physical illnesses, manipulation, or laziness. Efforts to alleviate it often actually make the symptoms worse. This presentation, designed for those with limited clinical experience treating anxiety, will help nurses, counselors, and other school staff learn:
• The physiological processes involved in anxiety
• How to recognize anxiety symptoms among your students
• How best to support students struggling with anxiety, without exacerbating the symptoms.
• The importance of collaboration between the school and home to address this issue.