What are Signs of Difficulty?
Behavior that is different from the norm or that represents a change for a particular student may indicate that a student is having problems. Below are three categories of student distress and how to differentiate a ROUTINE referral from an URGENT, or a CRISIS referral.
Level 1 – (ROUTINE/URGENT referral) Developmental concerns expressed to you, including: direct statement of need for assistance, or generally talking about problems; expressing confusion over direction life is taking; statements that student has little or no support or no one to talk to; questions about how to balance academics with social life; questions about identity (including sexuality, race, gender, nationality and any other questions related to “who am I?"); managing relationships with family or friends
Level 2 – (ROUTINE/URGENT referral)-Behaviors that may indicate a problem, such as: unusual excessive absences or a change from high to low grades; unusual or noticeably changed interaction patterns in the classroom; depressed or apathetic mood, evidence of crying; excessive activity or talkativeness, or noticeable change in appearance/hygiene; repeated attempts to obtain deadline extensions or postpone tests; inappropriate, exaggerated, or lack of emotional reactions to situations; written assignments that reveal personal problems; significant dependency on faculty or staff (e.g., excessive visitation)
Level 3 – (CRISIS referral)-Behaviors that indicate the student needs emergency care.
* violent or other extremely disruptive behavior
(hostile threats, assault)
* obvious loss of contact with reality (seeing/
hearing/feeling things not apparent to others,
thoughts or behavior inconsistent with reality)
* disorganized thoughts or incoherent speech
* suicidal or other self-destructive thoughts/actions
* homicidal threats
Any suicidal/homicidal thoughts or other Level 3 behaviors should always be taken seriously.
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