Challenge
Centers for Disease Control and Preventions data on mental healthcare is shocking. 1 in 6 U.S. children aged 2-8 years (17.4%) have a diagnosed mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder. The most commonly diagnosed in children aged 2-17 is about 9.4% in ADHD or about 6.1 million, 7.1% in anxiety or about 4.4 million, or 3.2% in depression or about 1.9 million. Some of these conditions commonly occur together. NYC serves over 1.1 million children. If we assume the same percentages, we have over a hundred thousand students with a mental disorder. What about children who are left undiagnosed? Mental disorder is a growing issue and children need support to learn how to cope and deal with it in a healthy manner. How can we bring more social and emotional learning into the classroom to help students have a successful future?