How to Start Mental Health Awareness Week at Your School

(or in Your Home)

Belonging Begins With Us

A week to help kids feel seen, safe, and supported through simple daily activities that focus on inclusion, emotions, and mental health.

How It Started

Two years ago, I sat in a PTA meeting and asked: "Why aren’t we doing anything for Autism Acceptance Month?"

That question started something that turned into one of my favorite weeks of the year—Mental Health Awareness Week. We brought in autism acceptance, emotional regulation, disability inclusion, and mental health tools in a way that felt kid-friendly and real.

Now it’s something students look forward to. And with a little prep, it’s something you can do too.

The Theme: Belonging Begins With Us

Everything we planned tied back to this message. The goal wasn’t perfection—it was connection.

Each day, students:

- Learned about inclusion and neurodiversity

- Practiced ways to handle big emotions

- Talked about how to ask for help

- Saw messages of encouragement everywhere they looked

A Simple Daily Plan

You can do one day or all five. Here’s what worked for us:

  • Monday: Disability Inclusion

    Monday: Disability Inclusion

    Focus: What is a disability, and how can we be more inclusive?

    In Class:

    • Use the provided PDF to guide a short conversation that fits your class
    • Encourage students to read the disability posters during lunch
    • Students write/draw a note to someone they love with a disability

    At Lunch: Posters and looping video about inclusion

  • Tuesday: Autism Acceptance

    Focus: Promoting understanding and acceptance of autistic students

    In Class:

    • Read a book from the neurodiversity book list
    • Discuss kindness and inclusion
    • Students decorate a card with how they’ll show acceptance and tape it to the celebration banner at lunch

    At Lunch: Posters, looping video, balloon arch, banner display

    Goodie Bags: Students who visit the resource room will receive a sensory-friendly bag (Fly High pass, fidget, snack, sticker). Teachers with autistic students not visiting the room can request a bag in advance.

    Dress-Up: Wear gold or bright colors to show support

  • Wednesday: Learning to Regulate

    Focus: Recognizing emotions and using tools to stay in control

    In Class:

    • Talk about how we recognize feelings and use regulation tools
    • Revisit or create a calm corner
    • Discuss how to kindly support classmates

    At Lunch: Slideshow with visuals of regulation tools (Zones board, Spot the Feelings, etc.)

  • Thursday: Mental Health Matters

    Focus: Exploring ADHD, anxiety, depression, and ODD

    In Class:

    • Brief discussion on what mental health means
    • Students draw/write one way they care for their mental wellness at school (deep breathing, talking to a teacher, etc.)
    • Optional: Encourage students to participate in a kindness message exchange

    At Lunch: Posters, video playlist, spinning question wheels, fidget and sticker prizes

  • Friday: Prioritizing Wellness

    Focus: Knowing when and how to ask for help

    In Class:

    • Normalize that everyone needs help sometimes
    • Talk about where students can go and who they can talk to for support

    At Lunch: Community resource table with flyers from NAMI and Utah Parent Center

    Assemblies:

    • K–3rd: Guest author read-aloud + feelings talk
    • 4th–6th: Speaker on belonging, loneliness, and emotional wellness

  • What Made It Work

    Teacher Supply Bags – Delivered Monday morning with everything needed

    Consistent Posters & Visuals – Made the school feel unified

    Lunchroom Themes – Posters, videos, and hands-on stations

    Daily Themes – Focused, doable, and inclusive

    Volunteer Support – Helped with lunch rotations, regulation stations, and assembly setup

Free Printables & Templates

Want to do this too? You don’t need to reinvent the wheel.

canva template of all belonging begins with us Editable Book List
weekly overview and email templates 2025 autism video

You Can Do This

You don’t need a big budget, a committee, or perfect execution.Start with one simple day. One hallway poster. One read-aloud. One note of encouragement. Because when kids feel like they belong, everything changes. Belonging really does begin with us.