MOOD DISORDER

Mood Disorders include such diagnoses as Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, and Dysthymic Disorder, or Minor Depression. Mood Disorders can lead to impairments in academic and social functioning, often causing students to struggle at both school and home.

The Harris School helps children who are struggling with mood disorders in a number of ways. The rooms are set up to feel welcoming and home-like, with comfortable seating choices, soothing colors, and areas to take breaks when needed. The low teacher/pupil ratio allows for individualized attention to students who are dealing with emotional problems. This can be everything from acting as an outside ego support to help a child feel comfortable and competent enough to complete their academic work and interact socially, to reality testing the negative ideas and anxious thoughts students may have. The weekly group therapy for the older students allows the children to process their feelings about their problems, to feel that they are not struggling alone, and to examine the ways their actions are affected by their emotions.