Teaching Students with Bipolar Disorder

Over the 15 years I spent working with adolescent students who had emotional and /or behavioral disorders; one of the mental health issues I saw increase dramatically was the instances of bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder, which used to be called manic-depressive illness, is a disorder which causes severe mood shifts in people. It can affect a person's ability to function in all areas of life. It is marked by extremely "high/happy" or manic moods followed by a severe "crash" or depression. These occur in a cyclic pattern.

There is a strong genetic component to bipolar disorder and it is more likely to develop in children who have one or more parents with the disorder. Bipolar, can be difficult to diagnose because in children and adolescents, manic episodes often emerge as bouts of irritability and tantrums. While it may take adults weeks or months to cycle through their mood swings, children with bipolar can have cycles several times day. Adolescents dealing with bipolar disorder may often use drugs or alcohol to self-medicate making an accurate diagnosis even more difficult.

The behaviors presented by a bipolar student, in a classroom setting, can be very challenging. They may include, but are not limited to: irritability, depression, fast-changing moods, impulsive decisions, illogical beliefs, presentations of an over-inflated ego, extreme and unusual cravings for sweets and carbohydrates, hallucinations, expressing the belief they are invulnerable, unrealistic goal setting and racing speech.

These students struggle with completing assignments, staying on task and remembering instruction. They are often easily distracted by their own grandiose planning. When in a depressive cycle, they will isolate and find it difficult to interact with others. Because their instability of behaviors, these students struggle with peer relationships and may be loners.

If you have a student in class who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, here are some ideas for assisting them from the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation (www.bpkids.org): use recorded books instead of reading assignments when concentration is low, break assignments into smaller segments and monitor student progress at regular intervals, be aware of the student's mood cycles - when energy is low, decrease class requirements - when energy is high, provide more opportunities for accomplishment and allow students to remove themselves from the class to regain self-control if they become overwhelmed by a mood swing.

Medication will usually be of great benefit to children and adolescents who are coping with bipolar disorder. However, some children and teens may be sensitive to the medications and react negatively. As a classroom teacher, it may be helpful for you to educate yourself about the types of bipolar medications students are taking and be aware of side effects. Then if a child or adolescent should have a reaction, you can seek appropriate assistance.

Bipolar illness lasts a lifetime and it is a very complicated disorder. Therefore, it may be helpful, to get permission to speak with any mental health practitioners who are involved with the child. These professionals can help you gain a better understanding of the disorder, and work with you to develop effective interventions for the student in you classroom. In turn, you provide to the mental health professional beneficial insight into how the child acts in and academic setting, which can help the professional treat the child in a more holistic manner.