The following is to help understand more about Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in children, so that they can find success in the classroom. It reviews the definitions of emotional disabilities and the challenges of providing services to students with emotional disabilities.

Behavioral disorders become apparent when the student displays a repetitive and impact persistent pattern of behavior that results in the significant disruption in other students. Such disturbances may cause significant impairments in academic, social, and or occupational functioning. Such a behavior pattern is consistent throughout the individual’s life. There can be much difficulty with these children. These children can sometimes need more help than a mainstream classroom can provide. Often more support is needed, but it can be difficult finding a balance between getting the child help and not limiting the child’s access to the mainstream environment.

Characteristics of emotional disturbances include: bullying, exhibiting lots of physical aggression, showing little remorse and compassion, destruction of others property, blame others for wrong doings, and physical abuse of others. Disruptive emotional and behavioral disorders are complicated and may include many different factors working in combination. For example, a child who exhibits the delinquent behaviors of Conduct Disorder, CD, may also have ADHD, anxiety, depression, a drug abuse problem and a difficult home life. This can make working with the effect individuals difficult as it takes patience and understanding. These students can also be disruptive to other children in the classroom making it even more difficult.

Although it difficult working with and raising these children, it can also be highly rewarding watching the children with emotional and behavioral disorders succeed and get beyond the disability.

The following is an example of a behavior modification plan. It is essential when working with a child with an emotional disability to come up with a game plan to help them succeed and meet their goals. This specific behavior modification plan is based on attendance, but behavior modification plans can be created around anything from raising their hand to be called on to not running away during school hours. The same ideas can be used at home to create success in family life. Just be creative and think of what the specific child’s needs and interests are so that the behavior modification plan is applicable to them. It is essential to be consistent with the behavior modification plan for the first week to month and then as the child becomes more successful they can be weaned from the plan back to normal daily life.

Sample Behavior Modification Plan

Target Behavior

Classroom Attendance: This is important to ensure the child is receiving a full education, where the child is learning responsibility as well as their curricular goals.

• Appropriate behavior, regular attendance, to be increased
• Inappropriate behavior, irregular absence and extreme tardiness, to be decreased

Classroom attendance to improve, so that child is missing only one day a month or less; only when child is sick or needs to attend pertinent appointments. Absence to be parental approved with call to school.  This will help the child to learn appropriate material and build consistent interactions with classmates.

Reinforcement

• Attendance to class will be rewarded with token daily, which will help child earn larger reward.
• Daily reinforces can help children see accomplishment, while larger prize helps them to see importance of consistency.
• Child will receive token daily after sitting through, completing, class.
• Final prize can be gauged by child’s interest and should be largely rewarding to them.

Data Collection

• Attendance will be taken daily and noted in teacher’s log.
• This log can be used to determine progress.
• Child should start attending more regularly and continue their positive behavior over two months time.
• Child will be observed over two months time with evaluations weekly on progress toward goal.

Children with social and emotional behavioral issues often need interventions to succeed in the classroom. Some of the possible interventions include play and drama. Play therapy is based on the idea of letting children work through their problems in a technique they already feel comfortable with and use regularly, play (Newcomer, 2003). Drama therapy is a technique that uses both verbal and nonverbal communication, while children act out specific scenes from their lives (Newcomer, 2003).

Play Therapy

The strategy play therapy can be used with 3 to 12 year olds to help them coop with a traumatic issue and/or work through their problems. This technique can be beneficial to children who have issues socially connecting due to a disability or behavior.

Teachers can serve as a mediator between the students and their environment. The teacher will provide a variety of tools and make them available to the children. These tools can incorporate and help lead play therapy. The teachers will also make sure that the materials are developmentally appropriate. It is the teachers responsibility to provide time for play so that they can connect with the child and see them in a non-typical classroom like setting.

Play therapy should help children to develop more problem-solving skills, communication skills, and social skills. Teachers should make clear goals about play therapy, so they will know when it is being effective.

Drama Therapy

Drama Therapy is used to solve problems, explore unhealthy interactions, and help children emotionally cleanse themselves by acting out real life scenes.

Teachers can start with a warm up, to loosen children up and get the ready for bigger acting. This can include finger plays, songs, or simple improvisations. The lesson can include a wide range of games, like role0playing, mime, puppetry, improvisation, and theatrical. Teachers can conclude the session by helping students become aware of their attitudes and behaviors by asking “what” questions.

Teachers should set clear goals, so that it will be noted if the drama therapy is effective. An example of goals include: Explore Individual problems, teach social skills, teach coping skills, explore common problems associated with age group, conduct role training, explore social and cultural issues.

References

Newcomer, P. L. (2003). Understanding and teaching emotionally disturbed children and adolescents (3^rd ed.). Austin, TX: Pro-ed.

Introduction

Emotional Behavioral Disorders, EBD, affects many people. As educators and parents, we need to be aware of the disorders, understand their causes, characteristics, and have a plan for working with children affected by it.

Definition

Behavioral disorders become apparent when the student displays a repetitive and impact persistent pattern of behavior that results in the significant disruption in other students and to themselves. Such disturbances may cause significant impairments in academic, social, and or occupational functioning. Such a behavior pattern is consistent throughout the individual’s life. The behaviors within EBD vary between individuals and include a large range of symptoms.

Characteristics

Bullying, Physical Aggression, Destruction of Property, Harm to self, Substance Abuse, Phobias, Blame other for Wrong, Doing Physical Abuse to Others, Depression, Withdrawal, Acting Out, Obsessions, Compulsions, Anxiety, Academic Problems

Causes

• Genetics – Especially depression and schizophrenia
• Environmental Factors – Frequent exposure to stressers adds to likelihood of Emotional Behavioral Disorders
• Living Conditions- More likely to develop Emotional Behavioral Disorders in poverty and single parent households
• Biology – Works together with environment to affect children’s well-being
• Lack of System Support – Need coordinated, culturally appropriate, & comprehensive supports
• Child Abuse – An extremely large percent of children abused show signs of Emotional Behavioral Disorders

How to Work with Children

Set Curricular/life Goals- Normally done through the IEP process, may include ways to behave appropriately and how to build friendships
Implement Instruction/Intervention- A different method of instruction may be deemed necessary. Try thinking outside of the box.
Use Referrals- Outside help may be necessary for the child to overcome their disorder and function on a higher level in and out of the classroom.

Work As A Team

The child will need support in order to succeed. This takes effort from teachers, family, and other professionals. It is best when everyone is on the same page.

Educational choices coincide with the variety of theoretical models within Emotional Behavioral Disorders. It is important to remember when working with those with emotional disabilities what is best for the individual. These theoretical models are based on a variety of historical perspectives and consider a variety of causes.

One model is the Psychodynamic model is based on the Psychoanalysis model by Sigmund Freud. It is based on the idea of making the unconscious conscious. This model considers the early effects of life that become part of the unconscious later in life, such as a hard childhood, which leads to behavioral disorders. This model requires a student who wants to do the work to overcome their disorder by exploring their past. It also requires more one-on-one psychological help, which makes this model harder to adapt to the classroom. Another main model is the Cognitive Behavior Model. It was developed by Albert Ellis . This model is usually used with medication and therapy. It works on how an individual feels, how they think, and how they act. This model often focuses on the thought process. As teachers, this theory can be used to encourage positive thoughts and lead toward the fulfillment of these positive thought, so that children can become successful in the classroom.

One more model is the humanistic model, which is based on three main concepts. They are “self-actualized—congruence, unconditional positive regard, and empathetic understanding” for a holistic approach. This model often uses the instructor to point the individual toward resources, which can easily be encorporated into the classroom. It is limited to how much the child and parents are willing to access other resources to find help and does not address specific classroom modifications.

A different model is the Behavioral model. As a broad approach, there are many possible components centered around observation. This approach will look at the current happenings and reflect on possible genetic factors which may be contributing. As teachers, this model can be applied through observation of students and taking into account what triggers their reactions and what other external forces may be contributing. It also uses trial-and-error to find what works for the student to become successful.

There are other models to help teachers and counselors while working with children with Emotional Behavioral Disorders, but the Behavioral model, Humanistic model, Cognitive Behavioral model, and the Psycho dynamic model are all key models that can be used in coming up with a classroom strategy for helping a child to become successful within the classroom. As discussed previously, children with Emotion Behavior Disorders may have a wide range of disorders, which may be expressed in a variety of ways. As such, there is a need to have a variety of strategies available to find what works best for the student, so that they can become truly successful.