Counseling Referral

It is never easy to identify the point at which you should refer a student to the school counselor. You can sense that the time has arrived to do so when the student’s problems exceed you ability to help.
Here are some signs that the time for referral has come.

  • You see a significant change in the student’s behavior. For example, the student becomes aggressive, does poorer classwork, or becomes very disorganized and erratic.
  • You see a significant physical change in the student. For example, the student falls asleep in class, or pays less attention to personal hygiene.
  • You see a significant personality change. For example, the student withdraws from class activities and other students, or seems highly anxious.

Often, other students in the class will express their concerns about a student. These concerns should be taken seriously since students know other students better than a teacher does. Finally, don’t ignore your "gut feeling" that something is wrong.