Addressing a Neurodivergent Child’s Mental Health Holistically

Educators and clinicians often hear the phrase “children are resilient” repeatedly. It’s true that children usually find creative workarounds and marshal their resources, which helps them adapt to changing environments. At the same time, a child’s resilience can’t erase the impact of coping with adversity and stress. 

The Effects of Toxic Stress  

Toxic stress is defined as the prolonged or excessive activation of the body and brain’s stress response systems (Harvard University Staff, 2025). It can change the brain’s structure, which leads to fewer learning-related neural connections. 

If toxic stress levels remain too high for too long, genes and brain chemicals will also change. This increases the risk of future difficulties with learning, behavior, and mental health (de Magalhães-Barbosa, et al., 2022). Whether they’ve had an autism assessment or been screened for ADHD, their challenges may also increase.  

Furthermore, toxic stress can lead to depression and anxiety disorders. The following statistics highlight the mental health difficulties in today’s schools: 

• About 2.7 million kids and teens have a diagnosed depression disorder.
• Approximately 5.8 million U.S. children have a diagnosed anxiety disorder.
• 42% of high school teens reported feeling hopeless for at least two weeks during the previous year.

Having depression and anxiety makes it more difficult to concentrate in school. It’s harder to be open to friendships and remember teacher instructions. Because depression and anxiety can become “embodied,” it could lead to the following physical effects: 

• Fatigue
• Sleep disturbance
• Changes in weight or appetite
• Metabolic disorders (Morales-Muñoz et al., 2023)
• Substance use

As a result of rising childhood mental health issues, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) began recommending in 2022 that all children between 8-18 years old be screened for anxiety. Moreover, the USPSTF recommends that teens between the ages of 12 and 18 be screened for major depressive disorder. 

Boosting a Child’s Resilience

Many holistic factors contribute to a child’s level of resilience. In fact, ensuring a child has healthy nutrition, gets sufficient sleep, and is physically active definitely helps. Additionally, the presence of supportive and warm grown-ups is key (Kahhalé et al., 2023). 

Parents who notice the signs of depression, anxiety, or embodied stress can arrange the support a child needs. By asking questions and conducting holistic assessments, their child’s resiliency can improve.   

It’s also possible to discover a child’s natural adaptive behaviors with an ABAS-3 assessment. This evaluation will assess their adaptive skills throughout their lifespan, which may help them boost their resilience levels.