Understanding and Supporting Students with Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties

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 Understanding and Supporting Students with
Social, Emotional and Behavioural
Difficulties  

•  Paul Cooper
•  

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Aims of the session

• To introduce theoretical perspectives on the
  nature and causes of Social, Emotional and
  Behavioural Difficulties in Classrooms
• To provide students with a basic understanding of
  school based interventions for Social, Emotional
  and Behavioural Difficulties in Classrooms

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How are SEBDs commonly defined?

• Educational any problem posed by a childs
  behaviour or emotional state that interferes with
  learning and teaching
• Psychological problems rooted in the pupils way
  of experiencing the world
• Social problems in the social environment that
  give rise to pupil reactions that are interpreted
  as SEBD
• Medical problems influenced by biological or
  other within pupil factors

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Main Types of Problems

• Externalising, disruptive behaviours
• Internalising, withdrawn behaviours
• Cognitive distortions
• Cognitive deficits
• Socialised problems
• Developmental problems

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Tensions Relating to Different Approaches to
Definition

• Within pupil vs Environmental explanations
• Medical Model vs Social Model

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What are the most common manifestations of
SEBDs in schools and classrooms?

• Minor Disruption (occasional/locational) talking
  out of turn hindrance off-task rudeness
• Moderate Disruption (frequent/locational)
  persistent generalised rule infringement
  oppositionality defiance ( as above)
• Severe Disruption (frequent/pervasive) verbal
  and physical aggression to pupils and/or adults
  ( oppositionality defiance)

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Behaviour is Dominant

• Externalising problems are more disruptive to
  teachers, therefore, get more attention
• Internalising/withdrawn behaviours tend to be
  ignored, though they are as disruptive to the
  child as externalising problems are to the teacher

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The Prevalence of SEBDs

• Current US and UK 10-20 of all children
• Across whole, all age population problems are
  most prevalent in the 12-24 age range
• Among school age children problems are most
  prevalent in adolescent range, though greatest
  rates of increase are in lt12s
• 4 boys 1 girl though greater rate of increase
  among girls
• International prevalence rates have increased
  since 1945

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What Are the Causes of SEBD in the Classroom?

• Social Causes
• Psychological Causes
• Culture
• Biological Causes
• Interaction theory

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Social Causes e.g.

• Patterson et als (1992) 4 stage model of the
  development of the anti-social adult
• Social deprivation factors feed into
• Basic Training
• The Social Environment Reacts
• Deviant Peers and the Polishing of Anti-Social
  Skills
• The Career Anti-Social Adult

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Social Causes e.g 2

• The theory of typing
• Speculation
• Consolidation
• Self-fulfilling prophecy
• (Hargreaves et al. 1975)

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Psychological Causes 1

• Maslows Hierarchy of Needs
• Self Actualisation
• Self Esteem
• Affiliation
• Safety
• Physiological

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Psychological Causes 2

• Bowlbys Attachment Theory
• Difficulties encountered in forming secure
  attachments with a primary carer in early infancy
  can lead to serious problems social and emotional
  development.

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Psychological Causes 3

• Cognitive Distortion- Dysfunctional beliefs and
  attitudes
• Cognitive Deficit- Dysfunctional cognitive
  processing

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Biological Causes

• Biological Causes
• ?
• Brain abnormalities
• ?
• Cognitive Deficits
• ?
• Core problems
• ______________________?______________________
• Mediating Factors Experience maturation
  compensation motivation
• __________________________________________________
  __________
• ?
• Behavioural Manifestations

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Culture

• Individualism
• Self focusCompetitionSelf interest

• CollectivismGroup focusCooperationSocial
  responsibility

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The Bio-Psycho-Social Perspective

• Biology is not destiny
• Biology can create predispositions and risk
  factors
• Biology and environment are in constant
  interaction with one another

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How can we assess for SEBDs in the classroom?

• Systemic analysis (progressive focussing)
• The curriculum
• ?
• The Physical Environment
• ?
• The instructional environment/pedagogy
• ?
• The social environment (classroom school)
• ?
• The Pupil Group
• ?
• The individual child

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Some Tools

• Reflection alone and with peers
• Reflective diaries
• Interviews and consultation with pupils
• The Goodman Strengths and Difficulties
  Questionnaire
• Goldsteins TOAD schedule
• Behavioural Observation (ABC approach)