1. Psychological Problems of Children-
Role of Teachers
Early Identification and
Management
Psy. Vijay Lal Vijayan MSc (Psy),MPhil
M&SP
Consultant Clinical Psychologist ,
Dept of Psychiatry
Pushpagiri Institute Of Medical Sciences
Thiruvalla.
2. Psychological Problems of Children-
Role of Teachers
Early Identification and Management
Usually First
Diagnosed in
Infancy,
Childhood or
Adolescence
3. Types
• Mental Retardation
• Learning Disorders
• Motor Skills Disorders
• Pervasive Developmental Disorders
• Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorders
• Feeding and Eating disorders of infancy or early
childhood
• Tic disorders
• Other Disorders
4.
5. Mental Retardation
• Sub average general intellectual functioning that
is accompanied by significant limitations in
adaptive functioning.
• Intellectual functioning with an IQ less than 70
• Also need delays in two or more adaptive areas
Self care
Communication
home living,
social-interpersonal skills….etc
9. Reading Disorder: (Dyslexia)
• The term dyslexia was introduced in 1884 by
the German ophthalmologist, R. Berlin.
• He coined it from the Greek
words dys meaning ill or difficult
and lexis meaning word
• To describe a specific disturbance of reading in
the absence of pathological conditions in the
visual organs
10. Symptoms of dyslexia in children aged 5 to
12 include
• problems learning the names and sounds of
letters
• spelling that's unpredictable and inconsistent
• putting letters and figures the wrong way
round (such as writing "6" instead of "9", or "b"
instead of "d")
• confusing the order of letters in words
• reading slowly or making errors when reading
aloud
• visual disturbances when reading (for example, a
child may describe letters and words as seeming
to move around or appear blurred)
11. :
• answering questions well orally, but having
difficulty writing the answer down
• difficulty carrying out a sequence of directions
• struggling to learn sequences, such as days of
the week or the alphabet
• slow writing speed
• poor handwriting
• problems copying written language and taking
longer than normal to complete written work
14. • Kids with dysgraphia have unclear, irregular, or
inconsistent handwriting, often with different slants,
shapes, upper- and lower-case letters, and cursive and
print styles. They also tend to write or copy things
slowly.
• Parents or teachers may notice symptoms when the
child first begins writing assignments in school.
• Difficulty spacing things out on paper or within margins
(poor spatial planning)
• Frequent erasing
• Inconsistency in letter and word spacing
• Poor spelling, including unfinished words or missing
words or letters
• Unusual wrist, body, or paper position while writing
15. Dyscalculia
•Difficulty counting backwards.
•Difficulty remembering 'basic' facts.
•Slow to perform calculations.
•Weak mental arithmetic skills.
•A poor sense of numbers &
estimation.
•Difficulty in understanding place
value.
•Addition is often the default
operation.
•High levels of mathematics anxiety
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19. • ADHD is a neuro- developmental disorder
affecting children and adults
• ADHD is a common behavioural disorder that
affects about 10% of school- age children
• Boys are about three times more likely than
girls to be diagnosed with it, though it’s not
yet understood why,
20. ADHD Subtypes
• ADHD broken down into three subtypes, each
with its own pattern of behaviors
1. Inattentive type
2. Hyperactive –impulsive type
3. Combined type
21. Inattention
• Poor organization
• Does not seem to listen
when spoken to
• Loses objects
• Easily distracted
• Forgetful in daily
activities
Hyperactivity/Impulsivity
• Fidget
• Leaves seat often
• Runs or climbs excessively
• Always “on the go”
• Talks excessively
• Blurts out answers
• Can’t wait turn
• interrupts others
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26. • Stimulant medications improve attention in
normal individuals as well as children with
ADHD
• Medication alone is usually not sufficient for
the treatment of ADHD
• It is of upmost importance to communicate
with the ADHD/LD child’s teacher
• Mentally retarded children with symptoms of
hyperactivity and short attention may respond
to medication in different manner
27. Motor Skills Disorders
• Developmental Coordination disorder
• Impairment in the development of motor
coordination
• Not due to general medical condition (Cerebral
Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy)
• Marked delays in achieving motor milestones
(Walking, crawling, sitting), dropping things,
clumsiness, poor performance in sports
• These children may have difficulty using a cup,
spoon or fork to eat.
28. • They may have the tendency to drop items or
run into walls/furniture and have frequent
accidents due to motor planning difficulties.
• They may have trouble with tasks requiring
hand-eye coordination and dexterity
(hammering a nail, connecting wires etc.).
• These children may also have difficulty holding
a pencil and learning to write.
29. Communication disorder
• Expressive Language Disorder
• Expressive language disorder is a lifelong
condition that impacts the ability to use
language.
• People with this language disorder understand
what others are saying. But they have a hard
time expressing their own ideas when they
speak.
• Expressive language disorder isn't a speech
disorder.
30. Stuttering
• Disturbance in the normal fluency and time patterning
of speech that is inappropriate for the individual’s age.
• Frequent repetitions/ prolongations of sounds or
syllables
• Interjections
• Broken words (pauses within a word)
• Audible/silent blocking
• Circumlocutions(word substitutions to avoid
problematic words)
• Words produced with an excess of physical tension
31. Pervasive Developmental Disorders
• Impairment in several areas of development
• Reciprocal social interaction skills
• Communication skills
Presence of stereotyped
behavior/interests/activities
The qualitative impairments that defines these
conditions are distintly deviant relative to the
individual’s developmental level or mental age.
• Prevalence:2-5 cases per 10,000 children.
36. Rett’s Syndrome
• Rett syndrome is a rare genetic neurological and
developmental disorder that affects the way the
brain develops, causing a progressive inability to
use muscles for eye and body movements and
speech.
• It occurs almost exclusively in girls.
• Discovered in the first two years of life
• Is a genetic disorder.
• Mutation in a particular gene on the X
chromosome.
37. Symptoms
• A slowing of head growth is one of the first
events in Rett syndrome
• Problems with muscles and coordination
• The child loses any purposeful use of her
hands
• stops talking and develops extreme social
anxiety and withdrawal or disinterest in other
people.
40. Social Problems
• Many Asperser's kid’s social problems are not
recognized until they enter preschool.
• The first thing noticed may be a tendency to
avoid spontaneous social interactions, to have
problem maintaining a conversation
• To have a tendency to repeat phrases and
make odd, statements.
• Emotional responses such as anger,
aggression’ or anxiety may be excessive or
inappropriate to the situation
41. Use of Language
• Concentrate language rather than abstract.
• Difficulty in understanding humour
• Early years: repetitive phrases or language or
stock phrases from memorized material.
• Laugh at “wrong time” with jokes or interactions.
• Many have good sense of humour.
• Problems with taking turns in conversation.
• Repetitive speech
• Loud or high pitched speech.
56. MENTAL HEALTH OF SCHOOL
CHILDREN: ROLE OF TEACHERS
• After the home, the school is the major
socializing institution for any child.
• It is the child's first contact with the world
outside the home.
• For nearly 12 years, the child spends 5 to 7
hours each day in the school.
• The school, thus provides one of the most
important foundation pillars on which the
child's personality develops
57. • Of all the components of a school, the teacher
plays the most vital role
• What parents are at home, the teacher is at
school.
• The teacher has a responsibility, not only
towards the child's education but also towards
the child's full-fledged mental and emotional
growth.
58. Important Facts About Children
• Each child is unique and different in his/her
own way.
• Children of the same age, appearance and
from the same locality or even family are likely
to be very different in the way they think,
behave or react to situations.
• Child's reaction on first entering school or
his/her behavior in unfamiliar situations, will
not necessarily be the same as that of another
in the same situation
59. Two important factors determine what
a child will be
Hereditary
Certain patterns in the
child are determined
• level of activity,
• intelligence potential,
• temperament
• capacity to grasp
• perceive situations
Environment
• socio-economic living
conditions
• psychological atmosphere
at home
• The attitudes, beliefs and
the behavior patterns that
the parents exhibit
• communication patterns
with his parents and
siblings at home
60. What the School and Teachers can do to
Promote Mental Health of the Children
• Mental health in the classroom involves students
who are effective or successful in the activities of
the classroom
• Who gain satisfaction from the achievements
they are experiencing, and have reasons for doing
so.
• Since they are effective and derive satisfaction,
they are cheerful about their work and
associations. And, finally, they are able to work
for and with others
61. Organic Needs
• Organic Needs are food, oxygen, water,
clothing, proper temperature, shelter, and so
on.
• Mental hygienists are concerned with the
balanced satisfaction of Organic Needs.
• Attention needs to be given to proper lighting,
adequate ventilation, atmospheric humidity
and temperature control.
• Children need a lot of activity and also rest
alternately.
62. Psychological Needs
• Need to feel secure
• Need to manipulate and satisfy
curiosity(need for new experience)
• A more thoughtful teacher
• Need to achieve
• Need to be independent
63. Social Needs
• Need to be loved
• Need for recognition
• Need for companionship
64. • To assess the child's educational
capabilities, the teacher has to be
sensitive to the child's basic
constitutional capacities, environmental
influences and emotional needs.
• If there are lacunae in any of these areas,
the child's educational abilities are
severely affected.
65. A person becomes a teacher for a wide variety
of reasons.
• love of children
• lack of any alternative
• Desire for improving one's social position
and status
• Desire to fulfill the wishes of the family,
• “Hear I wish you all to become a great
teacher as well a pathfinder too”
