Emotional Disturbance

Overview

• Definition• Impact of disability• Assistance with

– academic tasks– behaviors– social skills

• Hierarchy of behavioral supports• Positive behavior support• Behavior support plan• Strategies

Definition

• "...a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child's educational performance--

– 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 and teachers.

Definition (cont.)

– Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances.

– A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.

– A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems." [Code of Federal Regulations, Title 34, Section 300.7(c)(4)(i)]

• Social maladjustment– Behavior in conflict with parent– Behavior associated with a subculture and

contrary to larger community mores– Behavior which does not render student

helpless, confused or disorientated

Emotional Disturbance is NOT

• Conduct disorder– Aggression against people or animals– Property destruction– Lying or theft– Serious rule violation

Emotional Disturbance is NOT

Impact of Disability

• Academic – Skill deficits– Trouble beginning tasks– Difficulty maintaining

attention– Problems completing tasks

• Externalizing – Acting out– Aggression – Defiance – Disruption– Fighting

• Internalizing - Withdrawing– Isolation – Self abuse – Depression – Anxiety

• Interaction with others (making and keeping friends)– Coping strategies– Reading social cues

Impact … Behavior

Academic Tasks - Assistance

• Provide clear, specific directions• Use curricular interventions

– Tasks at student’s academic level– Assignments broken into smaller parts– Breaks given as needed– Student strengths utilized to learn new

material– Opportunities for choice making

Externalizing & Internalizing Behaviors –

Assistance• Listen

to/observe student and make adjustments

• Teach relaxation techniques

• Teach alternate behaviors

Social Skills - Assistance

• Teach social skills proactively• Break skills down into parts• Teach, model, practice and reinforce

skills• Teach self-regulating skills

Hierarchy of Behavioral Supports

• School–wide positive behavior support

• Classroom Management

• Individual Support Plan

Targeted/Intensive

(High-risk students)Individual Interventions

(3-5%)

Selected(At-risk Students)

Classroom & Small Group Strategies

(10-15% of students)

Universal(All Students)

School-wide Systems of Support (85-90% of students)

• Intensive social skills training• Individual behavior management plans• Parent training and collaboration• Multi-agency collaboration (wrap-around)

services

•Intensive social skills training•Self-management programs•Parent training and

collaboration•Adult mentors (check-in)•Increased academic support

• Social Skills Training• Positive, proactive discipline• Teaching school behavior

expectations• Active supervision and monitoring• Positive reinforcement systems• Firm, fair, and corrective discipline

Developed by: Institute On Violence and Destructive Behaviors, University of Oregon (1999)

School-wide Positive Behavior Support

• School-wide rules and expectations – Defined– Taught– Modeled– Practiced – Reinforced

• ALL members of school community participate in development and implementation of policy

Classroom Management

• Identify 3 – 5 clear, concise , positively stated rules– Taught, modeled, practiced, reinforced

• Reinforce appropriate behavior• Predictable schedule/environment/routine• Active monitoring• Provide corrective feedback privately• Avoid power struggles between student

and staff

• A-B-C– Antecedent – Behavior - Consequence

• Communicative Intent (purpose of the behavior)

– To get or get away from…• Sensory, Escape, Attention, Tangible

• Replacement behavior– What the should the student do instead?

• Must serve the same purpose

• Reinforcement– How, when, how often will student be

reinforced?

Individual Behavior Support Plan

• Proactive– Teach new behaviors– Reinforce appropriate behavior– Emphasize positive expectations

• Reactive– Does not promote new learning – May stop the behavior momentarily– Emphasize negative consequences

Proactive vs. Reactive Strategies

Examples of Strategies

• Proactive– Point system

rewards– Modeling– Clear, specific

expectations– Contracts

• Reactive– Time away– Planned ignoring– Loss of activities,

privileges– Punishment

How Can Support Be Provided?

• Unconditional positive regard for the student• Teach appropriate behavior and social skills• Positive reinforcement for appropriate

behavior• Prompts (visual, auditory, gesture, picture)• Frequent positive check in

with school staff• Schedules• Peer support

Resources

• Durand, V. Mark. Severe Behavior Problems. New York: Guilford Press, 1990.

• House, Samm N. Behavior Intervention Manual. Columbia, MO: Hawthorne Educational Services, 2002.

• Janney, Rachel, and Snell, Martha E. Behavioral Support. Baltimore: Brookes Publishing, 2000.

• McCarney, Stephen, Wunderlich, Kathy, and Bauer, Angela. Pre-Refferal Intervention Manual, 2nd edition. Columbia, MO: Hawthorne

Educational Services, 1993.• McGinnis, and Goldstein, Arnold P. Skillstreaming in the Elementary School

Child. Champaign, IL: Research Press.• O”Neill, Robert, Horner, Robert, Albin, Richard, Sprague, Jeffrey, Storye,

Keith, and Newton, J. Stephen. Functional assessment of Program Development for Problem Behavior, 2nd edition. New York:

Brooks/Cole Publishing, 1997.• Wright, Diana Browning, Gurman, Harvey. Positive Intervention for Serious

Behavior Problems. Sacramento: California Department of Education, 2001.

Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary results.

―Anonymous