"It is essential that the nation find ways to support emotional health of our youngest children and their families through a continuum of comprehensive, individualized, culturally competent services that focus on promotion, prevention, and intervention" (Brauner & Stephens, 2006).
Application & Implications
There is no "one size fits all" mindset when working with students that have an emotional disturbance. It is essential for educators, school professionals, and parents to have increased awareness of ED in order to maximize the amount of support both in and out of the classroom. All students have the ability to learn and deserve to have the best education. Children and youth with ED prove to exhibit many challenging and difficult behaviors, and it is the IEP team's job to maximize the amount of support academically, behaviorally, and socially. There are many prevention and intervention supports that can be put in place to set up these students for success. Prevention and early intervention needs to be started early in a child's education career.
How can we improve the lives of students with an emotional disturbance?
Building Level:
School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS) is a research-based behavioral support approach used across the country for all students. SW-PBIS is an approach that starts with a school-wide prevention effort and then adds intensive individualized support for students that have extreme needs (Horner, Sugai, & Vincent, 2005). SW-PBIS is the RTI for behavior. This approach involves a three-tiered model that includes primary (school-wide), secondary (more focused, often small groups), and tertiary (highly-focused, individualized) (Sugai & Horner, 2002).
The tertiary level provides a more intensive level of support for students with emotional disturbances. Students with emotional disturbances can be served at each level, but will receive the most support from tier three. Tier three is highly-individualized and student-centered. This tier also provides effective and efficient responses to children and youth that are must in need, which would be students with emotional disturbances (Lehr & McComas, 2005).
**The implementation of School-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS) has shown to decrease the reduction in office discipline referrals by 20-60% for students with and without IEPs.
All school districts NEED to implement SW-PBIS!
The tertiary level provides a more intensive level of support for students with emotional disturbances. Students with emotional disturbances can be served at each level, but will receive the most support from tier three. Tier three is highly-individualized and student-centered. This tier also provides effective and efficient responses to children and youth that are must in need, which would be students with emotional disturbances (Lehr & McComas, 2005).
**The implementation of School-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (SW-PBIS) has shown to decrease the reduction in office discipline referrals by 20-60% for students with and without IEPs.
All school districts NEED to implement SW-PBIS!
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/school.social.works/response_to_intervention
This image shows SW-PBIS's three-tiered model pyramid and explicitly gives the characteristics at each level.
Impact is a newsletter that is published by the Institute on Community Integration (UCEDD) and the Research and Training Center on Community Living, College of Ed and Human Development at the University of Minnesota. The following newsletter provides an immense amount of research, information, and stories that directly relate to the emotional disturbances. There are many different articles shared within this newsletter that are going to be extremely beneficial to educators, school professionals, and families that would like to learn more about ED. Here are some articles that specifically focus on SW-PBIS.
Main Article: Fostering Success in School and Beyond for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders
School-wide Positive Behavior Support: Investing in Student Success
Implementing School-wide Positive Behavior Supports
Creating Caring Schools
Main Article: Fostering Success in School and Beyond for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders
School-wide Positive Behavior Support: Investing in Student Success
Implementing School-wide Positive Behavior Supports
Creating Caring Schools
The Basics of School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports
Check out this YouTube video to reinforce the concepts of SW-PBIS! This video provides detailed information on this approach along with many examples and ways positive behavior interventions and supports can be implemented at school to support all students including those that need intensive behavioral support, because of emotional and behavioral difficulties.
Classroom Level:
Schools as a whole and educators have a job to work hard to make a child feel significant and safe. Even the most difficult children can develop a commitment to school (Larrivee, 2009). Educators need to keep in mind that many of these students with emotional disturbances have many different problems and experiences that make learning a very difficult process. It is best to have a wide-variety of alternatives to increase the likelihood of finding an approach that is successful (Larrivee, 2009). These strategies, approaches, and techniques are only effective when they are implemented correctly and consistently. Below are a few research-based approaches used to help students that exhibit challenging behaviors.
The Developmental Audit
This approach offers challenging students the opportunity to discover how they have come to this point in their lives, and where they are going. The CCDO Principles (assessment and planning tool) helps understand what happened and why. These principles are a "Blueprint for Strength-Seeking instead of Flaw-Fixing" (Larrivee, 2009).
CCDO Principles (Brendtro, Mitchell, Freado, & du Toit, 2012)
• Connections: Scanning the Social Ecology
• Challenges: Identifying Coping Patterns
• Dignity: Identifying Growth Needs
• Opportunity: Planning for Strengths and Supports
According to Larrivee (2007), the task is to discover the following:
For more information on this approach, please refer to the following article: The Development Audit: From Strengths to Deficits
CCDO Principles (Brendtro, Mitchell, Freado, & du Toit, 2012)
• Connections: Scanning the Social Ecology
• Challenges: Identifying Coping Patterns
• Dignity: Identifying Growth Needs
• Opportunity: Planning for Strengths and Supports
According to Larrivee (2007), the task is to discover the following:
- Connections: Who are the significant people in the youth's life?
- Continuity: How has the youth coped with the challenges of life?
- Dignity: How can adults help develop strengths and self-respect?
- Opportunity: How can adults help the youth build his or her future?
For more information on this approach, please refer to the following article: The Development Audit: From Strengths to Deficits
Life Space Crisis Intervention
Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) is an interactive therapeutic approach to help students gain control and insight of their behavior. This approach is designed to turn crisis situations into learning opportunities for students that exhibit self-defeating behaviors (LSCI, 2014). The LSCI approach has six steps (Larrivee, 2009):
For more information on this research-based intervention, please refer to: Life Space Crisis Intervention
- Manage the crisis
- Construct the timeline
- Identify the central issue
- Teach insight
- Teach new skills (plan for success)
- Discuss the transfer of learning
For more information on this research-based intervention, please refer to: Life Space Crisis Intervention
Self-Regulated Learners
It is also extremely important for all students to become self-regulated learners. Self-control and self-discipline are often related to the term self-regulation (Larrivee, 2009). Teaching self-regulation can have a positive impact on academics and behavior. "Teachers need to provide specific strategy instruction and structured learning experiences to enable students to develop the socio-emotional competencies that will help them build positive peer relationships, work cooperatively in groups, and participate productively in learning activities" (Larrivee, 2009). In order for teachers to provide all of this within their classroom, they must teach self-regulation. Students with ED need the most support in becoming self-regulated learners. Think about this. To be a contributing member to society, do you need to be self-regulated, self-motivated, self-determined, self-disciplined, and learn self-control? It is our job as educators to teach the "selfs" to all students including those with emotional disturbances. Teaching the "selfs" will give these students a chance at becoming a contributing member in today's society.
Below are two articles that focus on teaching students with ED to be in charge of their own learning...
The Self-Regulating Learner
Using Self-Monitoring Strategies to Address Behavior and Academic Issues
Teaching for Generalization in Support of Students with Emotional and Behavior Disorders
Below are two articles that focus on teaching students with ED to be in charge of their own learning...
The Self-Regulating Learner
Using Self-Monitoring Strategies to Address Behavior and Academic Issues
Teaching for Generalization in Support of Students with Emotional and Behavior Disorders
Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)
A crucial piece of working with students that have an emotional disturbance is understanding the function of the behavior(s). IDEA highly advises that a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) be conducted. An FBA is also typically conducted at the intensive interventions of tier II and III of SW-PBIS. A Functional Behavior Assessment is a problem-solving process addressing the student's behavior(s). The FBA identifies the student's behavior and the purpose or function of that behavior. This assessment will break down a student's behavior and help the IEP team with understanding and best supporting that student's individual needs. Conducting an FBA will also be essential to use at an IEP meeting to determine the best interventions and techniques to implement for the student. IEP measurable goals can be created using the FBA as well.
Impact article on: Functional Assessment of Classroom Behavior Problems
Click here to learn more about how to conduct an FBA: Conducting an FBA
Simple Teacher Tips
Lisa Kupper from (NICHCY) gives 8 specific tips to teachers to support students with ED:
1. Learn more about the student’s specific mental health disturbance
2. Learn more about the student’s strengths
3. Remember, they’re kids first
4. Support the student’s inclusion
5. Set clear behavioral rules and expectations for the entire class
6. Provide accommodations
7. Join the student’s IEP team and help shape his or her educational program
8. Communicate with the student’s parents
To learn greater detail about each tip, please refer to her article: Teaching Students with ED: 8 Tips for Teachers
1. Learn more about the student’s specific mental health disturbance
2. Learn more about the student’s strengths
3. Remember, they’re kids first
4. Support the student’s inclusion
5. Set clear behavioral rules and expectations for the entire class
6. Provide accommodations
7. Join the student’s IEP team and help shape his or her educational program
8. Communicate with the student’s parents
To learn greater detail about each tip, please refer to her article: Teaching Students with ED: 8 Tips for Teachers
Accommodations
Below are some general accommodations that educators can start implementing as soon as tomorrow in their teaching practices for students with ED (Mastropieri & Scruggs, 2007):
- Establish open, accepting environment.
- Clearly state class rules and consequences.
- Emphasize positive behaviors and program for success.
- Reinforce positive behavior.
- Supply extra opportunities for success.
- Be tolerant.
- Use good judgment.
- Teach social skills.
- Teach self-control, self-monitoring, and conflict resolution.
- Teach academic survival skills.
- Teach positive attributions.
- Carefully select partners.
- Have alternative activities available.
- Design activity checklists.
- Use carefully selected peers as assistants.
- Have groups of “one.”
- Use behavioral contracts.
Inspiring Short Video Clip |
"Emotional Disturbance in the Classroom: Don't Give Up On Bobby" is a short video clip designed to reach educators regarding students with emotional disturbances. Polly Bath is a widely recognized behavior expert set out to train educators, administrators, para-pros and other staff professionals in understanding behavior and how to best support student behavior in the classroom. In this video, Polly gives hope to educators showing that you have the power to make a difference in the life of a student with an emotional disturbance. |
Home Support:
Family members are the most important members of the IEP team, because they know their child/youngster the best. The voice of family is the most important voice in making school decisions that impact the student with ED. In order to stay involved in your child's education, it is important to:
Stay involved! Your child/youngster needs you as their main support system!
- Participate and be an active member at the IEP meeting
- Communicate consistently with teachers, ancillary staff (school social worker, speech pathologist), and other school professionals including (administrators) on your child's progress
- Attend school activities and school-led conferences
- Advocate for your child's behavioral, academic, and social needs
- Communicate with IEP team about seeking outside mental health services
Stay involved! Your child/youngster needs you as their main support system!
Resources
Families often need support in understanding their child and the disability itself. There are many needs that will arise from an emotional disturbance and families need to be well aware of how to best help their child. There is a network of mental health supports available in your state and community. Below is a list of organizations (Some are also listed on the Additional Resources page) that can connect you with local resources to support you in understanding ED. These local resources can include support groups that will provide connection, information, and advocacy in helping you cope and support your child living with an emotional disturbance.
NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Health
1.800.950.NAMI
Mental Health America
1.800.969.6642
National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse
1.800.553.4539
NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Health
1.800.950.NAMI
Mental Health America
1.800.969.6642
National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse
1.800.553.4539