Getting your child set up on a 504 plan can seem like a big struggle. The good news is you don't have to do it on your own. The school is there to help partner with you to accomplish this goal.

Sometimes if I close my eyes, take a deep breath and really focus, I can find it. That very vivid mental image of myself staring in the mirror back in the spring of 2017. If I concentrate hard enough, I can almost place myself right back in that spot. The rush of a thousand different feelings, most of them dark, flood over me. I am a 21-year-old college student, and I’m supposed to be “living my best life,” as we said back then.

In March, Arkansas families experienced major disruption as schools were forced to close in response to Covid-19. Parents and guardians grumbled and moaned as work and home lives were transitioned to accommodate virtual learning. We told ourselves that if we could just make it until May, the pandemic would be over, and school would return to normal in the fall.

Stress is often uncomfortable, but good stress is completely necessary. A healthy amount of stress helps us navigate difficult situations, identify potential emergencies and keeps us alert, focused and task oriented. 

“We are getting a divorce.” It’s a sentence every parent hopes to avoid, but separation and divorce happen. In fact, Arkansas has the second highest divorce rate in the country. When the family unit is disrupted, the children involved often feel as if their world has been turned upside down. During this period, you can expect your child(ren) to experience a wide array of emotions including anger, sadness, blame, etc. As a parent, it’s imperative that you allow your child(ren) the time to process their emotions and create a safe place for them to ask questions and disclose fears about the future. 

Over the past several decades the number of Americans struggling with eating disorders has steadily increased. A study published in 2011 indicates that approximately 20 million females and 10 million males in this country struggle with some form of an eating disorder. 

Grief is personal and affects everyone differently. For the child and adolescent population, grief is often complex to identify. Common symptoms include sadness, anger, numbness, irritability, defiance, mood irregularity, depression and anxiety.

For parents, the first step in helping your child overcome grief is recognizing that all behavior is purposeful. Studies indicate that the part of the brain associated with emotional regulation is not fully developed until early adulthood. Therefore, children experience, process, and respond to emotions differently.