Schools need to improve mental health screening, report says
More Maine children should be screened before they enter school to determine whether they need help with mental or behavioral problems, a report released Monday concluded.
“We still have a very significant number of children we are not finding early enough,” said Dean Crocker, president of Maine Children’s Alliance.
The alliance report found data that shows 78 percent of Maine parents said their children were not screened for developmental or behavioral problems. That meant 812 children entering kindergarten last year needed additional help, the report said.
“They had substantial disability,” he said. “Substantial enough to require special education.”By not identifying those children by age 2, the state spends more money to try to help them later in life, Crocker said.
Read more here: Schools need to improve mental health screening, report says | The Kennebec Journal, Augusta, ME.
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About The Author
Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts is founder of Support for Special Needs and has been a regular contributor since its inception in May 2010. A mom to two kids with special needs, she didn't want other parents to feel what is the often isolating world of raising a child (or two!) with disabilities. Her kids had kidney transplants at the age of eight and will need liver transplants in the future as a result of ARPKD/CHF. They both have vision disorders and learning disabilities.