Sioux Falls Elementary School Teacher: Listen To Your Kids [VIDEO]

The shooting of 20 elementary school children and their teachers in Newtown, Ct. in what was supposed to be a safe learning environment, may leave children worried and with plenty of questions for their parents.

Shannon Rook, an elementary school teacher in Sioux Falls and Mrs. South Dakota International 2013, says parents need to help their children who may have been traumatized by the tragedy.  Unfortunately, Shannon says the stigma attached to mental health disorders prevents some adults from getting the help their children need.

As a special education teacher in both regular and behavioral programs, Shannon has witnessed first hand students that are suffering from anxiety or depression due to traumatic experiences.

The bottom line, according to Shannon Rook, is to seek treatment for children that are suffering from a mental health disorder.  Each year, an estimated 1 in 5 children in our nation are diagnosed with mental illness.