Benefits

As educators, I can guarantee that you have seen one, if not all of these definitions listed throughout this website, or similar, at some point in your career. They are IDEA definitions of disabilities, or textbook definitions that are taught to every prospective educator. 

However, simply knowing what these definitions are does not necessarily prepare you for what it will be like to teach a student with Depression. Nor will it make you any more reassured that you will be able to help or understand that student. 

Though some of this is gone over in your training as a teacher, there are other classes and educational options available for you to learn more about how to help students with mental disabilities. It may be a challenge, but it is nothing to be afraid of, they are students like any other, their disability is just another part of them.

In terms of being able to relate to these students, or help them to open up and get assistance for any of their issues, books can be a great outlet for students. This allows them to not only learn that they are not alone in their problems, but to also see the negative side effects that can occur without proper help. 

Books featuring a protagonist with a mental disability could provide an example of the negative effects that a lack of medication or therapy could cause. It also shows the typical students the signs which they should look for if they believe that one of their peers in need of help.

 These books can also allow insight for us teachers and our students to understand the fact that students with mental disabilities are just like any other student. They just have unique qualities that require them to learn or adapt in different ways. 

The use of literature in the classroom, for that reason, should help to improve the negative stigma surrounding mental health, and allow the issue to step into the light, so to speak. This way, those who need it, can get help without fear of ridicule for being different beyond their control. 

Cautions and Concerns

There is still a bit of caution when going about discussing mental disabilities in the classroom. It is important to be sensitive about their issues in case there is a student in the classroom who has a disability. It is also important to avoid prejudice and stereotype, and make the room a welcoming place for that student, where they know that they are accepted, even with their disability.

For this reason, among others, it is therefore crucial that the proper books are chosen for a classroom that won't misconstrue disabilities, or cause a stir in the classroom. There is a certain level of graphic content or inappropriate behavior that is unacceptable in the classroom, such as an in depth suicide scene. 

Also, books that are expanded into other media may create some tension. For example, 13 Reasons Why, by Jay Asher, recently because a Netflix series that caused some upset on social media. There has been argument about whether or not the main character truly killed herself for attention, as well as back lash for the negative way characters on the show confront her death. Because of how popular this series became, it would be best to stay away from it because it also caused such strong controversies.

Your next concern may be what to do if books do not address the disability well enough, and students come away from the book questioning the lingering stereotypes. In her article Fictional Characters with Disabilities- What message to they send?, Patricia Dunn answers this question with helpful tips. Dunn states that teachers can combat these stereotypes by having students discuss how the disability is portrayed, and what they think of the portrayal, as well as how that affected the novel's outcome. 

Dunn also believes that pairing these readings with an accurate, or first hand, portrayal of someone with the same disability could also be helpful. This would allow students to compare and contrast the two different experiences. She believes this to be a better option than simply ignoring books that feature disabilities all together. It shows that people with disabilities are like any other, with purpose, voice, and opinion, even if they have a disability that makes them different.