K-12 mental health, plainly explained

The MentalSpace School Journal

Research-grounded articles for school administrators, counselors, and educators — HB 268 compliance, universal screening, threat assessment, and what good school mental health looks like day-to-day.

Filtered: Clinical Practice

18 articles

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A diverse elementary school counselor sits side-by-side with a school administrator reviewing a laptop screen showing a teletherapy session in a quiet school office, both leaning in with focused, empathetic expressions — editorial documentary photo about supporting students with Tourette syndrome and OCD through same-day school-based therapy

Clinical Practice

Tourette Syndrome and OCD in Kids: A Guide for Schools

Pediatric Tourette syndrome and OCD explained for Georgia schools — CBIT and ERP therapy, HB 268 deadlines, and same-day $0 Medicaid teletherapy access.

Jul 4, 202610 min read

A school nurse kneels beside a middle-school student sitting on the exam table holding his head, both calm as she talks him through slow breathing in a quiet nurse's office — editorial documentary photo about recognizing stress-related headaches in students

Clinical Practice

Stress Headaches in Kids: What Schools Need to Know

Stress headaches in children often masquerade as illness. Learn the warning signs, when to see a doctor, and how schools can help kids cope.

Jul 4, 202612 min read

A diverse middle-school counselor sits side-by-side with a teenage student at a quiet library table after class, both looking at a notebook while the counselor listens warmly and the student keeps their long sleeves pulled down over their hands — editorial documentary photo about supporting a student with skin-picking disorder instead of scolding

Clinical Practice

Skin-Picking Disorder in Students: Why "Just Stop" Fails

Skin-picking disorder in students is a body-focused repetitive behavior, not a habit. Learn the school signs, why "just stop" fails, and how to truly help.

Jun 15, 202610 min read

A warm speech-language therapist sits side-by-side with a smiling diverse elementary student at a bright library table, practicing a back-and-forth conversation with picture cards — editorial documentary photo about supporting social pragmatic communication disorder in children and helping a child build social connection.

Clinical Practice

Social Pragmatic Communication Disorder in Children

Social pragmatic communication disorder in children, explained for schools: the signs, how it differs from autism, and evidence-based support that helps.

Jun 2, 202610 min read

A diverse elementary school counselor crouches to eye level beside a guarded young student sitting alone on a school hallway bench, offering calm, patient presence without crowding — editorial documentary photo about reactive attachment disorder in students and the child who stopped reaching out

Clinical Practice

Reactive Attachment Disorder in Students: A School Guide

Reactive attachment disorder in students is often mislabeled as ODD or ADHD. Learn the classroom signs, why consequences backfire, and how to support kids.

May 30, 202610 min read

A Black elementary-school counselor and a white mother sit side by side at a small table in a school library reviewing a reading assessment together, both focused and collaborative — editorial documentary photo about identifying dyslexia early and supporting K-12 students with learning differences

Clinical Practice

Dyslexia in K-12: Signs, Diagnosis, and What Actually Helps

Dyslexia affects 1 in 5 students, yet many go undiagnosed for years. Learn the signs, how diagnosis works, classroom supports, and how MentalSpace School helps Georgia districts.

May 27, 202610 min read

A diverse veteran teacher and a school counselor sit side-by-side on a quiet school hallway bench debriefing after a tough class, the counselor listening intently — editorial documentary photo about supporting educators who work with students with oppositional defiant disorder

Clinical Practice

Oppositional Defiant Disorder in Students: A School Guide

Oppositional defiant disorder in students explained for Georgia schools and families: what ODD is, evidence-based treatment, and how to support educators.

May 25, 20269 min read

A diverse high-school counselor — a Black woman in her 40s — sits side-by-side with a Latina teenage student on a quiet library bench after school, both leaning forward over a notebook in a curious, non-confrontational conversation — editorial documentary photo about compassionate first-line responses to adolescent substance use in Georgia schools

Clinical Practice

Adolescent Substance Use in Schools: A Georgia Guide

Adolescent substance use in Georgia schools is rarely a character flaw. Learn how integrated mental health care, A-CRA, and family therapy beat discipline.

May 22, 202611 min read

A diverse school nurse — a Black woman in her forties in a quiet school health office — leans in to listen as a teenage girl in a beanie sits across from her, hands tucked in her sleeves — editorial documentary photo about how K-12 staff can open the door to treatment for students with BFRBs, trichotillomania, and skin-picking

Clinical Practice

BFRBs in Students: Trichotillomania & Skin-Picking Guide

BFRBs in students — trichotillomania and excoriation disorder — are DSM-5 conditions. Learn the signs, why punishment backfires, and the evidence-based response.

May 22, 202611 min read

A diverse high school counselor — a Black woman in her 40s — sits side-by-side with a Latino teenage boy on a bench in a quiet school hallway, both looking at a clipboard together while she listens, editorial documentary photo about how schools identify and respond to adolescent substance use disorder

Clinical Practice

Adolescent Substance Use Disorder: A Guide for Schools

Adolescent substance use disorder affects ~6% of U.S. teens. Learn DSM-5 criteria, evidence-based treatments, and how Georgia schools can screen and refer.

May 15, 202611 min read

A diverse school counselor in her 40s sits side-by-side with a teenage student in a quiet middle-school library, both looking at a notebook together with calm, unhurried body language — editorial documentary photo about identifying BFRBs in students and starting a private, low-shame conversation

Clinical Practice

BFRBs in Students: Trichotillomania and Skin-Picking in Schools

BFRBs in students — trichotillomania and skin-picking — are often hidden by shame. Learn the signs, evidence-based treatments, and how to refer wisely.

May 15, 202610 min read

A diverse school counselor — a Black woman in her 40s — sits side-by-side with a multiracial middle-school boy in a softly lit school library, both looking at a notebook together — editorial documentary photo about ACEs and childhood trauma support in K-12 schools

Clinical Practice

ACEs and Childhood Trauma: A Guide for Georgia Schools

ACEs and childhood trauma explained for Georgia schools — the science, the warning signs in K-12 students, and trauma-informed practices that work.

May 14, 202610 min read

A diverse Latina mother sits side-by-side on a quiet school library bench with her elementary-age son, leaning in and listening as he talks, both calm but serious — editorial documentary photo about parents navigating a Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) diagnosis with their chronically irritable child.

Clinical Practice

DMDD in Kids: Why It's Not Bipolar (And What Helps)

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) was added to DSM-5 in 2013 to prevent pediatric bipolar misdiagnosis. What parents and schools need to know.

May 14, 202611 min read

A diverse Black mother and Latina IEP coordinator sit side-by-side with a folder of paperwork at a school conference table, the mother leaning in as the coordinator points to a section on accommodations — editorial documentary photo about parents and schools partnering on a pediatric ADHD combined presentation plan

Clinical Practice

Pediatric ADHD Combined Presentation: A Guide for Georgia Schools

Pediatric ADHD combined presentation explained for Georgia schools and families — DSM-5 criteria, Vanderbilt screening, IEP/504 supports, equitable care.

May 14, 202610 min read

An Asian-American boy around age 10 in his bedroom carefully arranging items on his desk while a parent sits patiently beside him, soft warm evening lamp light — editorial documentary photo about pediatric OCD compulsions and family ERP support

Clinical Practice

Pediatric OCD: When Bedtime Rituals Become a Child's Prison

Pediatric OCD affects 1-3% of children and is highly treatable with ERP — but families wait an average of 8-10 years for the right diagnosis. Learn the signs, the treatment, and what schools can do.

May 12, 202613 min read

A Black teen boy sits in a warm-lit therapy office across from a Black licensed family therapist, with his parents seated beside him, all engaged in a deep family conversation — editorial documentary photo about evidence-based treatment for Conduct Disorder in schools

Clinical Practice

Conduct Disorder in Students: Why Punishment Alone Fails

Conduct Disorder affects 4% of U.S. youth and is highly treatable — but only with the right interventions. Learn what works, what backfires, and how Georgia schools can support these students.

May 12, 202612 min read

A high school classroom in early morning with a Latina teacher at the front of the room and several students visibly drowsy at their desks, one with their head down — editorial documentary photo about sleep deprivation in the classroom getting misdiagnosed as ADHD

Clinical Practice

When Teen Sleep Loss Looks Like ADHD in the Classroom

Sleep-deprived teens look identical to students with ADHD, anxiety, or depression. Here's how districts can spot the pattern and route students to the right help.

May 4, 202610 min read

A diverse middle school teacher mentors a teenage boy in a quiet school library after class, both seated side-by-side flipping through a notebook — editorial documentary photo about how boys open up when help-seeking isn't a status loss

Clinical Practice

Why Boys Don't Tell: The Hidden Architecture Behind a Decade of Silence

It's not that boys won't talk. It's that by age 10, most have been taught a script that makes asking for help feel like a personal failure. A K-12 mental health guide.

May 2, 202610 min read

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