What's the problem?
School is no fun for those who feel excluded, bullied or have problems at home
Sally & Richard Greenhill
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Problems at school? Not everyone sails through without a care. The good news is that there is help available and a growing understanding about what prevents happy learning.
ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can contribute to difficult relationships with other children and teachers, making it harder for a child to concentrate and learn.
Did you know
- the diagnosis of ADHD is controversial. Many experts feel that active boys in particular can be labelled with ADHD unnecessarily
- medication may be given to some children, alongside support and help with behaviour change
- making sure your child has enough sleep can help, as can cutting out foods that you notice make behaviour worse
- support and advice for parents also helps.
Find out more from Channel 4 on ADHD and NetDoctor.
'I never read in school. I got really bad grades. In the second week of the 11th grade, I just quit' – Cher, singer, later diagnosed with dyslexia
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Dyslexia
Dyslexia is sometimes known as a 'specific learning difficulty' because it is not associated with other learning problems. It hampers reading and writing.
Did you know
- dyslexia can remain undiagnosed for some time
- only a minority of children have dyslexia severely and most manage to read and write effectively
- some children with dyslexia have behavioural problems thought to arise from frustration or boredom
- some experts think there may be a genetic predisposition to dyslexia.
Find out more from Channel 4 on dyslexia.
Bullying
Singer Myleene Klass at the launch of stoptextbully.com,
which helps children who are persecuted via their mobile
phone or computer
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Bullying can be physical or emotional – or both. Left unchecked, bullying at school can lead to mental health problems for victims – as well as bullies – that are likely to last well into adult life.
Did you know
- all UK schools are required to have an anti-bullying policy
- children who are the bullies also need help
- new ways of bullying use text messages and video on mobile phones – unpleasant and intimidating.
Find out more from Channel 4 on bullying and need2know, and get some government advice as well.
'I ran away from Healey Primary School three times because I was bullied for being small' – Dianne Thompson, chief executive of Camelot
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Depression
Children can suffer from depression – it's rather more than feeling in a low mood because of a sad or disturbing event. A young person with depression can have the same feelings as an adult, believing that they are worthless and that their life has no hope.
Depression affects between 2% and 5% of young people
between the ages of 5 and 16 years
Sally & Richard Greenhill
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Did you know
- depression affects learning and the ability to make and keep friends
- between 2% and 5% of young people suffer from depression between the ages of 5 and 16
- girls are more likely to be depressed than boys.
Find out more from Channel 4 on depression in young people and depression in teenagers and get in touch with children's charity YoungMinds.
'Difficult' behaviour
If parents and teachers say, 'He or she is driving me crazy!' this can mean that a young person is being noisy, aggressive, excitable, disruptive, shy, refusing to talk, impatient, uncooperative and more. 'Difficult' behaviours interfere with the learning of the young person and others in the same classroom. They can be very challenging for parents and teachers.
Did you know
- the behaviour of boys is considered more difficult than that of girls
- there is nothing necessarily 'wrong' with the child's mental health (although children who are disturbed will reflect this in their behaviour)
- parents and teachers can learn effective responses to challenging behaviour, but need to be consistent and persistent.
Find out more from Channel 4 on behaviour change by parents and get some tips on parenting.
'I held the record for being caned'
– Sting, musician and ex-teacher
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Help is at hand
If a young person has problems affecting their life and education, they can get help from:
- the educational psychology service in your area – usually the school or your doctor can refer you, but you can organise your own referral
- your school counsellor (if you don't have one yet, join The campaign)
- the school nurse
- the class teacher or the teacher in charge of pastoral care (in a larger primary school or a secondary school)
- the family guidance service – you can get an official referral or refer yourselves
- support groups for parents and children on specific issues like dyslexia – try the links in the different sections on this page
- young people's advice centres (usually for older children/teenagers) – the young person can usually refer themselves for counselling and support. Try the NSPCC, Connexions Direct and Barnardo's.
