It was within this website that I began to fully invoke what my advocacy focus entailed. For instance, mental health and behavioral management among primary physicians is not as sound as I would have hoped. In fact, the CDC says that 1-7 children aged 2 to 8 years old had a diagnosed mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder (CDC, n.d.). These statistics prove that teachers should understand how mental health and behavioral disorders are being treated. Part of this advocacy focus is to get the word out that yes mental health does exist among our young children, however, if not treated properly these disorders can continue to follow a child well into their adult life. As well as, families of these children should be rightly informed and …show more content…
Are there other Early Childhood Educators who are witnessing similar communication gaps between families with children who have mental health, emotional, and or behavioral disorders and other professionals inclusive of pediatricians and specialists? I sent an email to a preschool teacher with over 20+ years experience at a local Child Development Preschool, a kindergarten teacher with over 20+ years’ experience, and a first-grade teacher also with 15+ years’ experience. Since they not only have almost 60 years’ experience in the ECE field they also live and work within my community (Artifact 3). Likewise, I then called three local pediatricians from two different major networks to see if they use a formal assessment during regular checkups for mental health, emotional, or behavioral disorders. The response I received from these professionals was astounding. First, both the teachers in the public-school system say they do try to work alongside their student’s pediatricians in order to meet their needs better in the classroom. In fact, the school district sends home a letter asking permission from the family to access their doctor directly. One teacher noted that many parents are not equipped to ask questions for their children so as an option the teachers can call …show more content…
If the family shows concerns about their child’s behavior they will refer them to a local child psychologist for further evaluation. What this proved to me was that in fact, a gap does exist between families and the professional community, because how many families have the resources to follow through with the referral or even the desire. Not to mention the wait time for an appointment, the time it takes for an evaluation, as well as the adjustment period for the family and child to meet a whole new