The Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health (OCMH) has released new information focusing on the needs of children with disabilities.
July is Disability Pride Month, and the OCMH wants to highlight the issues that children with disabilities face when it comes to mental health.
20% of children have a special care need, and 56% of those children also suffer from a mental health condition as well.
Kids with intellectual or developmental disabilities can experience social challenges and cannot communicate the stress around their situation effectively.
This can cause high anxiety and depression, and an example of the effects this can have comes from new data that reveals people with autism are three times as likely to attempt or die by suicide.
The OCMH also stated that two-thirds of children with disabilities are not flourishing.
In school, they are being bullied, not receiving proper treatment, and being subject to seclusion at a higher rate than those without special health care needs.
All of which only worsen the state of their mental health.
The OCMH says some ways to turn the tide on this unfortunate reality include cultivating inclusive spaces for children with disabilities, listening to caregivers, and working to eliminate seclusion and restraint practices in school.
It is apparent children with disabilities are struggling with their mental health, but the OCMH is working to bring this to light and offer ways to change this for the better.
The entire fact sheet put out by the OCMH can be found online at children.wi.gov.
