Welcome to Week 5's posting on students with emotional and behavioral disorders. An audio of the chapter has been provided. For the chapter audio, ignore references in the audio to week numbers, dates, chapter numbers, page numbers, assignments, the discussion board,names...thank you. The core of the audio speaks to the current chapter topic in your edition of the text book. https://edocs.uis.edu/jherr3/www/TEP224F2010/TEP224Ch5.mp3 .
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Chapter 8 addresses the following questions concerning teaching students with emotional and behavior disorders:
What is the federal government's definition of the "emotionally disturbed"?
What are the characteristics of students who exhibit emotional or behavioral problems?
When is it appropriate to refer students suspected of having emotional problems to special education?
What are some strategies for teaching students with emotional or behavioral problems?
The federal definition of "emotionally disturbed" as suggested the text is as follows:
A condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree, which adversely affects educational performance including:
- an inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors;
- an inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers /teachers;
- inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances;
- a general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression; or
- a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal/school problems
this includes children who are schizophrenic; but not children who are socially maladjusted,
- an inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers /teachers;
- inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances;
- a general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression; or
- a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal/school problems
this includes children who are schizophrenic; but not children who are socially maladjusted,
unless it is determined that they are emotionally disturbed."
Wow! It is interesting the statistic of emotional disturbance is cited as affecting from 10 to 20% of students, yet only 1% of such students are actually served by special education services. So what does that mean? It means perhaps that most of these students who should be receiving help are not. It means perhaps that most of these students who should be receiving help are in regular education classrooms and are being underserved, especially if the teacher is a) not aware and b) not equipped to help. It is interesting to note also that most of these students are boys, outnumbering girls as high as 8 to 1, with students from minority populations being disproportionately represented as well.
I was one of those middle school teachers who started my first year of teaching armed with pedagogy and content but not experimentally prepared for students like one named Albert B. In hindsight and armed with what I know now, I would place Albert B. somewhere between exhibiting severe emotional behaviors and being affected by puberty issues. It was difficult sometimes to know which was which. I do know that even though all of the other boys around his age were going through puberty as well, none of them behaved like he did in my classroom! He would 'swing' into the class each day from the door frame...every day! He loved toys and gadgets, so he brought one with him to my class...every day! By the end of the school year, I had quite a collection of his toys: from a plastic roach to a skeleton's head that shocked you when you picked it up. I'm sure part of his misbehavior could have had a lot to do with my inexperience with classroom management.
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Want my suggestion? First year teachers should not be armed with the most challenging students in the school. I had been exposed to the Discipline with Dignity concept of involving the student in the process of negotiating what behaviors are expected in the classroom without shaming them, yelling at them, etc., etc, but none of that seemed to work for Albert, at least not with me. He laughed out loud, he shot 'butterfly' spitballs all up in the ceiling that I didn't know were there until towards the end of the schoolyear. Even though the class was hands-on with the computers, he managed to 'break' his...he talked incessantly...fidgeted...crawled on the floor...managed to have students 'scream out' for something he'd done to them...his classmates HATED him and SO DID I. (I realize HATE is a strong word but I chose this adjective to describe what Albert was bringing OUT of all of us in my classroom...I didn't 'really' hate him...) I would ask for assistance, seek council from other teachers, the principal, ANYBODY! However, Albert was doing wonderful in most of his classes. He wasn't an "A" or "B" student, but he knew how far he could take these behaviors in other classrooms. I didn't want to use those methods however.
One thing that I have learned is that there is no one specific catch-all way of determining emotional or behavioral disturbance because it is a social construct; what might be emotional disturbance in one classroom might not be so in the next classroom. It calls for teacher judgment as to whether students are acting under one or more of the federally defined definitions above. Even after teacher judgment, others will have to further determine if the behavior falls in the category of requiring special services. Most teachers seek to have such students removed from their classroom if it is possible. However, new IDEA laws now support inclusion to the greatest extent possible. If the student is found to not have severe emotional problems, he or she will remain in the regular education classroom. Therefore, other techniques, avenues will have to be explored in dealing with such students and attending to all others as well.
Characteristics of students with emotional/behavioral problems: Students with emotional/behavioral disorders can exhibit internalizing or externalizing behaviors and both types of behaviors should be equally attended to. Externalizing behaviors fall in the category of hitting, aggression, and impulsive behaviors; internalizing behaviors are those that are 'quiet' such as being shy, fearful, anxious, depressed and withdrawn.
Characteristics of students with emotional/behavioral problems: Students with emotional/behavioral disorders can exhibit internalizing or externalizing behaviors and both types of behaviors should be equally attended to. Externalizing behaviors fall in the category of hitting, aggression, and impulsive behaviors; internalizing behaviors are those that are 'quiet' such as being shy, fearful, anxious, depressed and withdrawn.
Either type of behavior indicates that the student may need help. External behaviors are conduct disorder, aggression, hyperactivity, socialized aggression, and sometimes pervasive developmental disorder (example: student yelling out of character, saying strange things, rocking, knocking the head, nail biting). The following website gives a wonderful recap of each of these: http://www.slc.sevier.org/emoclass.htm .
Appropriate teacher referral of students suspected to have emotional/behavioral problems: How does a classroom teacher know when it is appropriate to persistently refer a student for special services? As noted from the textbook on pages 129-130 below:
- behavior-age discrepancy: note whether or not the student is inappropriately and consistently behaving unlike his or her peers in that age bracket in your classroom.
- frequency of occurrence of the behavior: note whether or not the student is inappropriately and consistently over time exhibiting unseemly emotions.
- number of symptoms: note whether or not the student is inappropriately and consistently over time exhibiting several symptoms of emotional disturbance.
- inner suffering: note whether or not the student is inappropriately and consistently over time exhibiting sadness, low self-esteem, helplessness symptoms.
- harm to others: note whether or not the student consistently over time harms others/animals with no remorse.
- persistence of the behavior: note whether or not the student consistently over time exhibits the same behaviors, regardless of intervention/assistance from others.
- self-satisfaction: note whether or not the student consistently over time exhibits a general negative behavior toward others and/or him or herself
- severity and duration of the behavior: note how often and how long the behavior occurs; note under what conditions and to what extent the behavior occurs; note what triggers the behavior and the outcome after the behavior has occurred; note whether or not the behavior occurs as a result of your relationship with the student or 'is the problem with the student?'; note whether or not others (family/you/other school personnel) have done anything to address this problem. (pp 129-130, Vaughn, et al, 2007))
Appropriate documentation/observance of any of the above consistently and over time should 'provide indications of the of emotional disturbance and the likelihood for referral.' (Vaughn, et. al, 2007)
So if such students are going to remain in my classroom, what are some strategies for dealing with them?: Visit the following website: http://www.slc.sevier.org/emoclass.htm .
Someone has to be the adult, in control, calm and respectful: that someone should always be the teacher, no matter what the student does. The teacher should be pro-active in that he or she should know ahead of time what building/classroom procedures should be followed in the event of a classroom disturbance: example, should another student be sent to get the assistant principal or another teacher? etc.
Always get to know the special education teacher(s) or expert in the school: ask for help, strategies that they use, ask how they would handle such a student. Continue to speak out, ask for help until you get what you need to work with such students in the classroom.
Get to know the parent(s).
Find out what management technique is used in the home to encourage positive student behavior. (You don't want to use abusive techniques from home, however...instead report any abuse that you are aware of or suspicious of to the appropriate authorities offering child protective services.)
Appropriate teacher referral of students suspected to have emotional/behavioral problems: How does a classroom teacher know when it is appropriate to persistently refer a student for special services? As noted from the textbook on pages 129-130 below:
- behavior-age discrepancy: note whether or not the student is inappropriately and consistently behaving unlike his or her peers in that age bracket in your classroom.
- frequency of occurrence of the behavior: note whether or not the student is inappropriately and consistently over time exhibiting unseemly emotions.
- number of symptoms: note whether or not the student is inappropriately and consistently over time exhibiting several symptoms of emotional disturbance.
- inner suffering: note whether or not the student is inappropriately and consistently over time exhibiting sadness, low self-esteem, helplessness symptoms.
- harm to others: note whether or not the student consistently over time harms others/animals with no remorse.
- persistence of the behavior: note whether or not the student consistently over time exhibits the same behaviors, regardless of intervention/assistance from others.
- self-satisfaction: note whether or not the student consistently over time exhibits a general negative behavior toward others and/or him or herself
- severity and duration of the behavior: note how often and how long the behavior occurs; note under what conditions and to what extent the behavior occurs; note what triggers the behavior and the outcome after the behavior has occurred; note whether or not the behavior occurs as a result of your relationship with the student or 'is the problem with the student?'; note whether or not others (family/you/other school personnel) have done anything to address this problem. (pp 129-130, Vaughn, et al, 2007))
Appropriate documentation/observance of any of the above consistently and over time should 'provide indications of the of emotional disturbance and the likelihood for referral.' (Vaughn, et. al, 2007)
So if such students are going to remain in my classroom, what are some strategies for dealing with them?: Visit the following website: http://www.slc.sevier.org/emoclass.htm .
Pragmatically Speaking - How to use this information in the classroom:
Emotionally disturbed students fair much better in structured, clean, orderly classroom environments; when they are aware of what the teacher expects of them; and when rules are present and enforced with care and dignity toward students. Emotionally disturbed students do not respond well to threats, yelling, cursing and 'emotionally-charged-teacher-responses.'Someone has to be the adult, in control, calm and respectful: that someone should always be the teacher, no matter what the student does. The teacher should be pro-active in that he or she should know ahead of time what building/classroom procedures should be followed in the event of a classroom disturbance: example, should another student be sent to get the assistant principal or another teacher? etc.
Always get to know the special education teacher(s) or expert in the school: ask for help, strategies that they use, ask how they would handle such a student. Continue to speak out, ask for help until you get what you need to work with such students in the classroom.
Get to know the parent(s).
Find out what management technique is used in the home to encourage positive student behavior. (You don't want to use abusive techniques from home, however...instead report any abuse that you are aware of or suspicious of to the appropriate authorities offering child protective services.)
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This Week's Optional Posting for Shared Discussion
The authors believe aggression and school violence are both results of school social dynamics and the developmental histories of youth who are at high risk for involvement in antisocial behavior. in the following article The Developmental Dynamics of Aggression and the Prevention of School Vioence . How do school social interactions impact a student's behavior? What role should the teacher play in the social dynamic? Do you agree or disagree with the steps the authors propose to prevent school violence? (p.208 in the pdf file) Why or Why not? After reading the chapter, listening to the audio, and post your comments to the Week 5 blog posting to comment on the questions provided. 
In their article ‘The Developmental Dynamics of Aggression and the Prevention of School Violence’, the authors propose a framework for prevention. They suggest that school social dynamics and the developmental history of each student contributes to aggression and violence. Their model takes a holistic approach and includes three levels of intervention. Universal strategies provide positive academic, behavioral, and social supports for the entire school. These conflict aggression strategies are used for every student in every classroom. Selected strategies are used to help students where a risk may be present. Indicated strategies provide support to students that have displayed aggression and/or violence.
ReplyDeleteAlthough implementing a program as extensive as this in a school may be difficult, I strongly agree with the goal of treating the system rather than a specific behavior. Universal strategies set up supports, rules and expectations at the beginning of the year that are consistent for all of the students. Selected and Indicated strategies not only aim to eliminate the aggressive or violent behavior, but they also build or repair support systems for the students at risk that may cause this behavior. Social interactions at school are only a part of the picture teachers must be aware of. Students carry a rich and sometimes scary history with them that determines how they interact with students, faculty, and others. The dynamic system the authors discuss looks at the big picture and treats the child, not just the behavior.
Teachers must be aware of all the factors that can influence a student to display aggressive or violent behavior in their classroom. A complete knowledge of each student and all the details of their home life is not possible, but might make the classroom a bit more predictable. To reduce inappropriate behaviors, the most important thing a teacher can do is to establish explicit, clear behavioral expectations (Emotional and Behavioral Disorders). I think that even without having a complete system like the authors suggest in place, a teacher can look at the causes behind negative behaviors and risks rather than the action itself. By thinking in terms of prevention and repair, we can move beyond the punishment.
Ball Chatham schools have implemented a system that is used at all of its’ schools.
Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) teaches behavior in much the same way academics are taught. The three core expectations of PBIS are be respectful, be responsible, and be safe. A consistent reward and punishment system is established and discussed at the beginning of the year. Workshops and discussions of the system are offered to parents, and a link is provided on each school web site. While PBIS does not specifically target aggressive and violent behavior, it provides clear expectations, consistent punishments, and tries to correct negative behaviors through positive means.
Works Cited:
The Developmental Dynamics of Aggression and the Prevention of School Violence’, Farmer, Thomas W., Farmer, Elizabeth M.Z., Estell, David B., and Hutchins, Bryan C.,
Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, Winter 2007, Vol. 15 No. 4, 197-208
Emotional & Behavioral Disorders (article)
A Parent’s Guide to Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), PBIS web site
Hi Ken,
ReplyDeleteI just recently learned about the PBIS system during my field experience assignment. I am observing at a middle school in District 186 that uses the system, and I believe it works well for that particular school. It requires students to "process," recognizing the problem behavior/action they exhibited, what caused the problem, how to resolve this issue, and how to keep it from happening again. There is a form that must be completed by writing all of the above information, which a student and the teacher sign to acknowledge that the student has "processed" effectively. If a student refuses to fill out a processing form, they are sent to a different "focus" classroom. They must be able to process in order to be released from the focus room; or they move to the recovery room. If these rooms do not encourage the student to recognize (process) their inappropriate action(s) or behavior(s), they are sent to the principal's office.
I have observed for about 16 hours so far, and have noticed that students (that I've seen) are able to process by the time they spend time in the focus room. It's an interesting concept that I had never heard of or experienced prior to my field experience.
This middle school also has Bullying Behavior Forms available to all of its students within every classroom. These allow students to take one (discretely) in order to get intervention from school personnel. It is a very detailed form which requires documentation of the type of bullying, the frequency, witnesses, and what outcome they desire. It also requires a staff member to sign the form once it is received, as they are required to take action on the matter. Again, I thought this was an interesting (and valuable) concept.
I recently attended the first half of a Crisis Prevention Intervention training which was conducted by Mid-State Special Education at South Fork High School. The training is designed to help those who are educators and health care professionals deal with people who are acting out verbally or physically. Many of the things that chapter eight discussed were covered during the training. The two main points that were made at the training were to stay calm, and provided the person with firm set limits, always offering positive limits when possible. While the information that was provided maybe useful when dealing one on one with a student, I felt it does not address the group dynamics that teachers face in their classrooms.
ReplyDeleteThe article about school violence did touch on this issue of group dynamics. It stated that even at preschool and early elementary levels, students are attempting to establish a pecking order and that aggression is often used to accomplish this task (Farmer, Farmer, Estell, & Hutchins, 2007).
I think the reason why the issue of group dynamics is important, is because most teachers do not get to work with one student at a time. When a student with an emotional or behavioral disorder acts out, either verbally or physically, it can become a nightmare for a teacher. I have seen first hand how one student’s outburst can become fuel for the rest of the class. I believe that establishing crisis prevention interventions for groups should be established. I liked the fact that the article states, “Universal prevention refers to interventions that are desirable for use with all students and are aimed toward the general public (Farmer, Farmer, Estell, & Hutchins, 2007).”
The one thing the textbook addresses, which I believe to be important, is teachers should never confuse a student’s behavior with the student (Vaughn, Bos, & Schumm, 2011). I believe that it is unreasonable to think that as a teacher I will like every student in my classroom. I believe this is especially true of a student who makes threats toward me, my family, or my property. I also realize there will be students who do not like me. However, I am to be the professional. I am the one who must look past the student’s behavior. I am the one who has to think about my own biases. I am the one who must address my own prejudices. I should always remember: the student is not there for me; I am there for the student.
Works Cited
Farmer, T. W., Farmer, E. M., Estell, D. B., & Hutchins, B. C. (2007). The Developmental Dynamics of Aggression and the Prevention of School Violence. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders , 13 (4), 197-208.
Vaughn, S. R., Bos, C. S., & Schumm, J. S. (2011). Teaching Students Who Are Exceptional, Diverse, and At Risk in the General Education Classroom. Boston, MA: Pearson.
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment on PBIS. It is interesting to hear how it is working from a teacher's perspective. Most of my experience with PBIS comes from having a kindergarden student in one of the Chatham schools.
We have tried to implement a similar system at home to be as consistent as possible.
I'm glad to hear about the bullying forms. It sounds like an interesting solution to a troubling problem in the schools.