Angelosante talks to News Center Maine about COVID-19’s impact on behavior and mental health in schools

University of Maine lecturer in special education Courtney Angelosante talked to News Center Maine for a story on behavioral and mental health issues among preK-12 students amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “We are seeing very young students coming into kindergarten without having access to early intervention. Students with more profound disabilities, lacking language, lacking communication,” Angelosante said. The piece also highlighted a Maine Department of Education-funded project to train educators throughout the state to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), a nationally recognized framework that aims to offer a wide range of interventions and supports to students to promote positive academic and behavioral outcomes. Angelosante leads UMaine’s role in the project.