As school psychologists, educators and parents most often approach us with questions relating to a concern. We have the privilege of serving students in their natural learning environment where skills and behaviors can be observed and analyzed, where interventions can be created and tested, and, hopefully, where a positive change can be made within a student's school day. However, we must also balance our ideas for intervention with education laws requiring us to determine that an evaluation is necessary or an intervention is appropriate. It is when working with students who are twice exceptional (2e) that we must advocate the most for examining the whole child. Therefore, we have set out to share our experiences as school psychologists and offer reflections on working with and expanding support for the 2e population.
Purpose
Many children who face natural disasters experience significant mental health consequences. Parents play a prominent role in the likelihood of child mental health outcomes after a weather-related disaster. This study aimed to examine the relationship between parent risk factors and children’s psychological well-being post Hurricane Harvey.
Methods
Parents (n = 140) completed a survey that measured hurricane exposure, parental depression and anxiety, parenting behaviors, and assistance given and received during or after Hurricane Harvey. Additionally, parents were asked to complete questionnaires assessing one of their children’s post-disaster psychosocial functioning and distress.
Results
Results indicated that heightened parent anxiety was significantly associated with an increased risk for emotional symptoms, conduct problems, and hyperactivity-inattention symptoms in children. Additionally, inconsistency in parental discipline was significantly associated with an increased risk of child conduct problems. Further, higher numbers of assistance types received by parents—a proxy indicator of resource loss—was associated with higher child emotional distress scores.
Conclusions
Broader systems-level interventions that address parents’ physical and emotional needs may help mitigate maladaptive reactions in children and facilitate greater post-disaster psychosocial adjustment.
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