Children and families have faced unprecedented stressors over the past year that have exacerbated the existing mental health crisis. Now, as children head back to school, families may struggle to navigate the transition.

If you’re worried about your child’s transition back to school, you’re not alone.

Here’s a Back to School Mental Health Toolkit, designed with the COVID-19 pandemic in mind.

When the pandemic began, we were already facing a childhood mental health crisis. One in 6 children under the age of 12 suffer from an impairing mental health disorder and the majority never receive care.

During the pandemic, families have experienced stressors that exacerbated previous challenges. The CDC reported a 24% increase in mental health emergency room visits for kids 5 to 11 compared with 2019. 

One of the ways we can support the mental health needs of families and children is through early identification and intervention.

It’s proven that early intervention leads to better health and outcomes, but caregivers, pediatricians, and teachers do not often have the tools to identify what behaviors are “normal” versus “clinically-significant.” We know children under 12 suffer from mental health disorders at the same rate as older children.

The American Academy of Pediatrics completes mental health screens for children 12 and older, but it’s not standard practice to screen children under the age of 12. Screening and empowering parents, teachers, and pediatricians with information are essential for early intervention and identification. 

For the first time, we’re releasing a screen for children aged 2-12 to help you get insight into your family’s wellness during this difficult time.

As children head back to school in the fall, it’s critical that we understand the impact that the last year has had on children and their families, so they can get access to the right resources as early as possible.

To address this need, Little Otter has developed a free Back to School Mental Health assessment for children 2-12. Starting with a set of screening questions, it will help you learn about your children’s emotions and behaviors, understand what is typical and what is clinically significant, and assess the well-being of you and your family. All of these questions are asked and evaluated in the context of returning to school during this difficult time.

Based on the results of individual questions, your family will get personalized resources that help them support your child’s behavior and emotional wellness. 

Along with personalized resources, we’ll provide tools that empower parents, pediatricians, advocates, and teachers to discuss early childhood mental health and support the wellbeing of children and families. 

Get a customized Back to School Mental Health Toolkit for a healthy school year.

The back-to-school season is a huge transition for kids, particularly during COVID-19. Often, times of change are also times of worry. But it doesn’t have to be that way!

This free Back to School Mental Health Toolkit will make the transition at least a little easier.

You’ll start with a quick assessment. After answering a few questions, you’ll get a report that provides customized insights about four key areas: your child’s emotional and social health, your family’s stress, your mental health as a caregiver, and feelings about going back to school. As part of the report, you’ll also learn whether or not to worry.

From there, you’ll get customized resources designed just for your family’s unique situation.

Make sure your children are heading back to the classroom with the mental health support they need.

This mental health screen was developed by Dr. Helen Egger, Little Otter’s co-founder and one of the leading child mental health experts in the world. Learn more about Dr. Egger here.