Photo by Joshua Sukoff from Unsplash
Has Section 504 Been Overlooked? By Lawrence J. Altman Originally published in Rethinking Behavior Spring 2021, Volume 4 , Issue 3
T
hese are not “normal” times. And we are just beginning to realize their impact.
COVID-19 already has and will continue to negatively impact our students. MSNBC, CNN, FOX, and other news outlets have presented interviews with mental health experts discussing the impact this pandemic has had and will continue to have upon students. What’s more, on May 8, 2020, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published an article stating the need for schools to comprehensively plan for their re-openings. The AAP stated, when students return to school, staff must expect that many will exhibit behaviors and mental health problems not previously seen before education was disrupted. Schools must be prepared for the need to assess the mental health of all students upon their return to school and provide mental health services at significantly increased levels.
Unfortunately, this pandemic has also brought additional trauma and emotional harm to our students of Asian descent and their families. Statements made by some referring to COVID-19 as the “Chinese virus” have resulted in harassment and threats to Asian Americans. News reports from around the country have reported incidents of harassment and physical attacks upon our citizens of Asian descent. Compounding this, the ugly head of racism has again emerged with the killing of George Floyd by a white police officer. The impact of this traumatic event should not be overlooked, especially for our students of color and their families. Schools cannot assume that if these students misbehave, it is because they are “bad kids.” Schools must understand that misconduct may be caused by trauma produced by the environment of racial hatred that all students, especially students of color, have had to endure their entire lives. Understanding the negative impact of the trauma 187
