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COMPASS for Middle School Mental Health

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COMPASS and Innovative Education for Students with Autism

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Abstract

A large portion of autistic youth experience co-occurring mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression. The COMPASS model can be used to promote social-emotional skills and address mental health concerns using evidence-based practices that involve caregivers, teachers, and other school professionals. The use of COMPASS to address mental health in autistic youth is well-aligned with existing, universal practices implemented in schools through social-emotional learning. COMPASS can be used to design and deliver targeted and intensive evidence-based teaching strategies for autistic youth, who often require more support for social-emotional skills than their non-autistic peers. This chapter presents an overview of common mental health concerns observed in autistic youth, the role of social-emotional learning in promoting mental wellness in schools, and a description of COMPASS for mental health (COMPASS-MH). The unique aspects of COMPASS-MH, including the emphasis on caregiver involvement in designing and implementing teaching practices and targeting of social-emotional skills and mental health concerns, are articulated in detail. A case study is used to illustrate the application of COMPASS-MH to address mental health in an adolescent with autism. Future steps for research in the COMPASS-MH are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology & Special Education, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Kristin M. Rispoli & Gloria K. Lee

Authors
  1. Kristin M. Rispoli
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  2. Gloria K. Lee
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Correspondence to Gloria K. Lee .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Teachers College, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA

    Lisa A. Ruble

  2. Indiana University – Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    John H. McGrew

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Rispoli, K.M., Lee, G.K. (2023). COMPASS for Middle School Mental Health. In: Ruble, L.A., McGrew, J.H. (eds) COMPASS and Innovative Education for Students with Autism. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-31395-0_8

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