May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and LDA of America’s Mental Health Committee highlights the link between learning disabilities and mental health disorders. Understanding this connection is crucial, as individuals with learning disabilities often face challenges that can impact their mental well-being. Throughout this month, we encourage open conversations about mental health, promote resources for support, and advocate for inclusive educational practices that address learning needs and emotional health.
1 in 5 people aged 3-17 in the United States has a mental, emotional, behavioral, or developmental disorder. Based on population estimates, this is roughly 14-15 million children. The most common disorders include anxiety, ADHD, depression, and behavioral disorders.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/su/su7102a1.htm
Kids with learning disabilities often face additional challenges that can affect how they feel about themselves and the world around them. When learning feels harder than it should, it can lead to frustration, school struggles, and feeling socially left out. These experiences can take a toll on the confidence and emotional well-being of individuals with learning disabilities. Some kids may also deal with worry, sadness, or stress in their behavior. But with the right support—like personalized strategies, patience, and encouragement—they can build on their strengths, feel more confident, and succeed both in and out of the classroom.
As advocates, we celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month as an opportunity to shine a spotlight on mental health and well-being. By raising awareness, we can work towards creating a more supportive environment for individuals with learning disabilities, ensuring that they receive both the educational and mental health resources they need to thrive. And remember, You Are Never Alone!
-Rachel Krueger, LDA’s Mental Health Committee Member
The Power of Nature, Sunshine, and Movement in Promoting Positive Mental Health
By Bev Johns
Can you describe yourself as a couch potato, internet surfer, or social media addict? Has your child become one? We all, at times, find ourselves in a funk, or we just don’t feel like doing much activity at all, so we sit around watching TV or watching our device’s screen. We congratulate ourselves for getting out of bed, but that isn’t enough to be a contributor to a better life for us or our child. We as adults are role models for our children, and we want to instill in them that walking can be relaxing, can make us think more clearly, and can help us develop a positive attitude. Walking can also make us have a more productive day. During this Mental Health Awareness Month, make a pledge to take walks with your child, and to motivate your child. Consider building in some additional mindfulness activities while on the walk.
We often want to talk with our child, but when we are face-to-face with them, they may not open up to us. They may find that too intimidating. When we pry them for what is on their minds, they may shut down and not let us know what is going on. We cannot force that openness, but we can create situations where our children see us in a non-threatening way, and they can see that we are devoting special one-on-one time with them. They can also learn that walking can be a great activity for regulating emotions. Now that the weather is warmer in most parts of the country, we can take advantage of the fresh air.
Walking provides a way of engaging side by side with your child, so they don’t have to look you in the eye to talk with you. Side by side establishes the idea that you are partners with them. It can be non-threatening to them because you can establish other purposes for walking and build in a love of the beauty that surrounds us by walking. Start with short walks with a purpose. You may want to begin with five-minute walks and then build up to a longer time. What are some activities you can do on a walk?
- Survey your surroundings and take a photo of something along the way that speaks to you, like a flower or a sign. You can then talk with your child about why that picture meant something to you.
- Pick three colors before you go on your walk with your child and try to find objects with those colors. Have the child pick the three colors that each of you will look for.
- Pick four objects you will look for on the walk. Again, have your child decide what objects you will look for.
- See how many men, women, and children you see on your walk.
- Look for a specific plant or flower that you want to find when you are walking.
- Stop and smell a flower or a plant.
- Find an unusual sign that you may not have seen before.
- Count the number of birds you see.
- Find two animals along the way.
- Identify three different smells you experience on the walk.
- Plan a trail with three left turns and three right turns.
- Finally, when you finish the walk, talk about what made you happiest to see during the walk.
These are all ways you can connect with your child in a non-threatening way while teaching the beauty of simply taking a walk together. You are also teaching children to be observant and to appreciate the environment that surrounds them. What a relaxing and healthy activity for both of you.
