Healthy Relationship Workbook for students with IDD

The Healthy Relationships Workbook (for people with learning difficulties) is a free series of worksheets and activities designed to help individuals with a developmental or intellectual disability learn about healthy relationships, as well as what constitutes an abusive relationship and what to do in such a case. The workbook uses simplistic language for people with IDD (people with developmental or intellectual disabilities) and contains at least one subject per page, which also include large black and white illustrations that can be used for coloring. Allowing participants to color during these activities can increase reader connection to the material. This workbook is most effective when participants use the workbook with a trusted adult, in the case that any questions arise.

            I found this workbook to be a practical example because I have several students with IDD and many of them are finally at the age where they are becoming sexually curious. Addressing these concerns can be a bit more challenging for students with IDD because they might have difficulty in comprehending certain themes, due to their lack of social and intellectual development. The Healthy Relationships Workbook provides students with IDD the opportunity to learn about healthy relationships in a comfortable environment with practical information that is easy to understand and provides them with insightful resources that they can use in their everyday lives.

Here is the link to the full workbook (and it's free!)

http://arcwhatcom.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Healthy-Relationship-Workbook.pdf

Automatic and Coping thoughts

At my internship, I'm constantly trying to help students deal with the Negative Automatic thoughts many of them encounter on a day-to-day basis. These thoughts are often so ingrained that it can be paralyzing for them. Many of these thoughts are the basis of their anxiety. For example, I hear students thinking they're going to fail, that a class or the school is too hard, that they'll never get into a good college, and everyone but them is understanding a concept. My goal in working with these students is to get them to think of coping thoughts which can ultimately impact their feelings and behaviors. Thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all connected; by changed or recognizing one hopefully the others are positively impacted. When a student comes to the office saying they are going to fail, it is my goal for them to be able to say something such as "I probably won't get an A, but I'll do okay". Armed with these coping thoughts, hopefully, their behaviors are less defeated.

The first worksheet has common automatic thoughts with corresponding Coping Thoughts. I often will practice these with my students. For ones who have less experience, I'll try to provide them with examples, but more experienced students I definitely will ask them to give me the examples. 

The second worksheet asks the student to identify a stressful situation that happened that week or something that happens often. After that, they're asked to list their automatic thoughts and make the connection to how they feel. After identifying their automatic thoughts and feelings, they are asked to list 5 coping thoughts that could make the situation better.

This has been a helpful approach for me, especially with finals coming up. Hope it can help you as well!

Text-A-Tip

          “Text-A-Tip” is an anonymous text communication system, based in Lake county, that provides users with immediate mental health services. To use the services, members simply download the app on their smart phone, make an ID, and send a message. Responders are all licensed and certified mental health professionals from Barrington Behavioral Health and Wellness and are on call 24/7. While the service is anonymous, emergency responders will be notified in the case of a life-threatening emergency or criminal activity. Text-A-Tip is partnered with several Lake county organizations, including, Lake County Opioid Initiative, Lake County Regional Office of Education, LEAD, a Lake Forest based non-profit, partnered with the Lake County Health Department/Community Health Center, the Child Adolescent and Family Recovery Center, and Barrington Behavioral Health & Wellness.

            I felt that this service was particularly interesting because one of my students uses the service quite regularly and says the app is very helpful. This came as a surprise to me, not because I thought the service wasn’t a good idea, but because I was a bit skeptical of students actually using the service. It turns out that one of my students actually uses Text-A-Tip and finds it very helpful when she is experiencing a crisis. Communal mental health services, such as Text-A-Tip, can provide supplemental mental health support for students beyond the school environment. Since my school’s campus has 3 social workers, we can only provide so much counseling and many students and their families are often reluctant to follow through with our referrals. Text-A-Tip is great supplemental support systems for teens and adolescents, who may be unable to receive traditional mental health services.

A Brief explanation of Text-A-Tip, as well as how the program came to be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=Bk_Aw6EKZI4

Text-A-Tip homepage

http://www.leadingefforts.org/text-a-tip/