Episode 8: "She Would Have Fallen Through The Cracks"
“She struggled from...first grade completing work and staying on task, and it was obvious that she had a disability, but I wasn’t able to get it diagnosed until she started acting out in middle school.”
Janell reported this episode as a high school senior. She lives in Manhattan.
By Janell Mayo
The topic of mental illnesses and disabilities has always hit close to home for me. I come from a family where mental health issues are like a tradition that gets passed down through every generation. This history with mental illnesses has made me more inclined to speak out for the individuals that live with them. In particular, I aim to shed light on the mistreatment of Black and Hispanic children with mental illnesses or disabilities in low-income public schools.
It is estimated that less than 15% of American children experiencing poverty who are in need of mental health care, receive services. My older sister Janaya falls into that 15% that did receive care. But this was after a lot of advocating on my mother’s part. Janaya only began to see therapists seven years ago after my mom took her to get diagnosed when she was in middle school. Despite receiving mental health care, Janaya’s issues didn’t just vanish. She still struggled with a set of learning disabilities.
Tune in to hear Janaya’s harrowing journey through the public school system and my mother’s steadfast determination to get her the support she deserved.
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