Childhood Bipolar Disorder: The Design of a Resource Guide for Teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to create a resource guide that teachers could use to assist them in working with children with bipolar disorder. Much of the literature regarding bipolar disorder was read, reviewed, and synthesized in order to extrapolate significant information to include in the resource guide. The contents of the resource guide were determined based on two criteria: how frequently the material presented in the guide occurred in the existing literature and the usefulness of the information. The resource guide in chapter four is the result of the study. This study also presented and answered four major research questions: (a) What is bipolar disorder?; (b) What are the symptoms of bipolar disorder?; (c) What are some school-wide accommodations that can be made to benefit students with bipolar disorder?; and (d) What literature is currently available regarding bipolar disorder? The conclusions reached were: (a) There is limited research available regarding bipolar disorder.; (b) There is a need for more research to be completed regarding bipolar disorder.; and (c) Parents want schools to educate teachers and other staff about bipolar disorder.