Definition of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
A chronic condition where the emotional and behavioral responses differ from age, cultural, or ethnic norms to such a degree that educational performance is adversely affected.
Causes of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
There is a wide range of suspected causes for Behavioral and Emotional discords. They include biological disorders like abnormal brain growth or injury to the brain, genetic link to the disorder, or a biological temperament that predisposes the child to Behavioral and Emotional discords or the disorder could be caused by more Environmental factors.
Characteristics of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Emotional and behavioral disorders can be exhibited in out burst or other destructive external actions. They can also be internal, such as eating disorders, depression, or other self-destructive behaviors.
Schooling for Those with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
When a child has emotional and behavioral disorders, they normally spend part of the day in a regular classroom and the other with a resource teacher or self-contained classroom. It is important for all of their teachers to be on the same page, so that the child has a clear distinction of right and wrong and the consequences and rewards that will come of each. Often it is ideal for a school to have a school wide positive reinforcement system. These often provide clearly defined rules and consequence punishments. Another good strategy for teachers is to implement self-management teaching programs, such as self-monitoring and self-evaluation. By children learning to monitor themselves, they can learn to control their behavior and emotions. Often peer mediation and support can help a child learn appropriate social skills as they learn to work with one another. It is important for children with emotional and behavioral disorders to learn to cooperate, manage stress, control anger, handle name-calling, and problem solve . With all of these added expectations for a teacher to convey to a child with emotional and behavioral problem, it is also important that the teacher continually challenge children academically, so that they do not fall behind and can become more confident in their academic abilities.
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