Testing Accommodations for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities

1
Testing Accommodations for Students with
Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities

• Chapter 6
• David Goh

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Definition

• No clear line b/w those with EBD and those
  without
• National Mental Health Associations defines as
  people whose behavior falls outside of the norm
• DSM IV- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
  Mental Disorders (classification system provides
  uniform language and criteria to professionals)
• Federal Definition
• Inability to learn
• Inability to build and maintain relationships
• Inappropriate behaviors
• General depressive nature
• Tendency to develop physical symptoms

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Prevalence

• Higher rates for mild disabilities
• Lower rate for severe disabilities
• Varies based on criteria used
• Estimates 0.5 to 20 of school age population
  in general 3 to 6 and or 1 of special ed.
  population

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Problems with Prevalence

• Social stigma
• Eligibility categories
• Lack of uniformity in ID process
• A lack of funding may limit school districts want
  to ID students
• Lack of appropriate services

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Categories

• Externalizing
• Aggression
• Hitting
• Shouting
• Cursing
• Internalizing
• Shyness
• Withdrawal
• Depression

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Types

• Conduct disorders- (hitting, biting, throwing,
  tantrums, teasing, acting defiant, overactive,
  uncooperative, etc)
• Easily recognized 50 of adults after therapy
  show problems, students show low academic
  achievement)
• Motor Excess- (Hyperactivity)
• Socialized Aggression (anti-social, group
  behaviors, delinquent, gangs, criminal, violent)
• PDD- Pervasive Developmental Disorder
• Immaturity
• Depression
• Anxiety and withdrawal

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Causes

• Poverty
• Abuse- estimated 63 of kids with label have been
  abused
• Chemical imbalances
• Unstable home life- dysfunctional families
• Organic causes

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Treatment

• Stimulants- target central nervous system and
  believed to help brain release chemicals
• Antidepressants- have sedative nature
• Antipsychotics- tranquilizers
• Therapy- access and availability is a concern

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Identification and Assessment

• Parents as assessors
• Doctors role
• Tips for teachers to decide on referral
• Behavior-age discrepancy
• Frequency and occurrence of behavior
• Number of symptoms
• Persistence of behavior
• Self- satisfaction
• Severity and duration
• Inner sufferings

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Tips to deal with behavior

• Maintain and organized physical environment
• Establish positive relationship
• Changing behaviors- rules, consequences vs.
  punishments, listening and talking, student
  accountability
• Resolving Conflict
• Promote self-control
• Adapting curriculum

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The Need for Testing Accommodations

• Diverse symptoms
• Internalizing and externalizing behaviors that
  effect life and school will also play out in
  testing
• Interpersonal skills, inappropriate behaviors,
  mood, physical symptoms and avoidance
• Assessor must be clam and patient
• Just having classification does not warrant
  accommodations, must be documented

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Methods of Accommodations

• Little research done that says accommodations
  help
• EBD students typically have normal intelligence,
  but show chronic school failure

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Types of Accommodations

• Setting
• Separate location, free of clutter, and stimuli
• Timing and Scheduling
• Extended time, develop a rapport, short breaks,
  conduct over days
• Presentation
• Rapport building, help student self-monitor,
  verbal encouragement, reinforcement- verbal and
  tangible

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Recommendations

• Should not excluded from large scale testing if
  accommodations can offer a valid measure of
  student knowledge and competence
• Decision for accommodations have to be based on
  individual need
• Teachers have to be aware of student disability
• Establish a good rapport with the teachers
• Understand the qualities of assessment
• Expose student to testing format, practice and
  testing situations

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Recommendations

• Should not excluded from large scale testing if
  accommodations can offer a valid measure of
  student knowledge and competence
• Decision for accommodations have to be based on
  individual need
• Teachers have to be aware of student disability
• Establish a good rapport with the teachers
• Understand the qualities of assessment
• Expose student to testing format, practice and
  testing situations