Emotional Behavioral Disabilities Tia Tracey MSW

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Emotional Behavioral Disabilities Tia Tracey
MSW
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Managing a Crisis

• Listen, agree, and apologize when necessary
• Collaborate Ask what do you want? Lets find
  the right way to get that. When logic is
  gone.. Distract!
• Distractors Novel Items, Sensory Activities,
• Special Interests, something unique (surprise)
• Ignore if you are a trigger
• Avoid escalating punishment
• Plan Make a plan for next time Cant go back
  with some students

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Positive Behavior SupportImportant Principles

• All students, not just specific groups, need
  behavioral support at some level.
• Academics and behavior are related
• All student behavior has a goal (to obtain, or
• avoid something/someone)
• Students only repeat behaviors that work for them
  in some way.
• Students need clear behavioral expectations
• with specific, meaningful rewards and
• reasonable, related consequences.

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Principals of PBS..

• Behavioral problems are indicative of errors in
  learning, need to be dealt with by using
  direct, systematic instruction similar to how we
  address academic deficits.
• Uses team based, data driven problem solving
  approaches.
• Reflects a proactive Vs. reactive approach
• Recognizes the importance of determining whether
  inappropriate behavior(s) are a skill deficiency
  problem (they cant do it, never learned how), or
  a performance/motivation problem (they have the
  skill, but wont do it)

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Who are the students we are discussing today??

• According to (IDEIA), federal special ed. law
  defines emotional disturbance as
• A condition exhibiting one or more of the
  following characteristics over a long period of
  time and to a marked degree, which adversely
  affects educational performance
• - An inability to learn which cannot be
• explained by intellectual, sensory, or
  health
• factors
• - An inability to build/maintain
  satisfactory
• interpersonal relationships with peers and
  
• teachers.

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EBD Students .

• - Inappropriate types of behaviors, 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

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RISK FACTORS

• Biological
• Genes predisposed
• to mental illness
• Physiological problems caused
• by injury, illness,
• toxins
• Parental mental health disorders

• Environmental
• Family risk factors
• School risk factors- i.e. poor academic
  instruction
• Peer group risk factors i.e. antisocial peers
• Community based
• i.e. economic hardship,
• exposure to violence or
• drugs

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The Most Frequently Occurring Emotional
Behavioral Disorders of Children Youth Common
Characteristics of These Disorders

• Oppositional Defiant Disorder 5-15
• Conduct Disorder _________________________
• Frequent temper tantrums
• Excessive Arguing
• Active/passive defiance
• Refusal to comply
• Verbally Abusive
• Angry,resentful
• Need for power and control
• Bullying and intimidation

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Frequently Occurring EBDs

• Bipolar Disorder 1
• _____________________
• Constant Irritable mood
• Crying for no apparent reason
• Rapidly Changing moods
• Hyperactivity,agitation
• Explosive rages
• Impulsivity or Distractibility
• Impaired Judgement
• Sleeping too much/too little

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Frequently Occurring EBDs

• Anxiety Disorders 10 13
• _______________________
• Constant worrying
• Fear of making errors
• Panic Attacks
• Fear of new situations
• Overly tense uptight
• Needs constant reassurance
• Many physical complaints
• Believes something bad will happen they have no
  control

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Important Facts to keep in mind

• Mental health disorders are typically caused by a
  combination of biological, psychosocial,
  environmental factors
• Often specific disorders are difficult to
  diagnose due to the fact that symptoms of
  different disorders present with common,
  overlapping symptoms
• Co-occurrence of mental health disorders is
  common.
• Early diagnosis and intervention is critical

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Important Facts .

• Psychotropic medications can reduce, but not
• eliminate symptoms of many disorders.
• Medication alone is not a cure, but can
  help
• lessen the manifestations of the disorder,
  while
• making the child more teachable.
• Often children with mental health disorders have
  two choices when they are frustrated
• fight or flight When they shut down, they
  are
• often trying to avoid a rage response.

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Difficulties Associated with Challenging Behavior

• Behaviors are often the result of the childs
  disability they are usually not intentional.
  Abstract thinking and perspective taking are
  often difficult for children with EBDs.
• We need to recognize this, not seek to punish!
• Look at behaviors as attempts to communicate, not
  personal attacks. Respond to behaviors with
  compassion try to provide tools meet the
  students needs.

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Difficulties Fight or Flight??

• Low frustration tolerance
• Limbic System Controls emotions
• and fight,flight or freeze responses
• Forebrain Reasoning and planning
• Limbic system can hijack the rest of
• the brain. Prevents rage and/or
• distract when in rage!

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Working With Defiant Kids Understanding the
Keys to Communication

• Why do classroom conflicts between teachers and
  students and seem to occur so frequently?
• Conflicts are Power Struggles that must always
  involve at least two parties.
• There are many factors that contribute and tend
  to push each party into these power struggles.

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Factors that Contribute to Power Struggles

• Students who are predisposed to conflict often do
  poorly in school and act out to mask their
  embarrassment about their lack of academic
  skills.
• Lack of social skills and strategies that would
  help students to work through problems.
• Confrontational behavior has paid off for
  students in the form of reduced expectations for
  schoolwork or improved social standing with
  peers.

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Common errors in dealing with Confrontation

• The longer a student has engaged in habitual
  confrontational investment a teacher will need to
  put into strategies to turn the behavior around.
• Teachers often react to student provocation and
  allow themselves to get pulled into power
  struggles.
• If a student is labeled defiant, teachers tend
  to jump to conclusions, and ambiguous behavior is
  quickly interpreted as defiant or deliberate.
  This often triggers confrontation.

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Reducing Power Struggles

• Maintain an outwardly calm demeanor when faced
  with a defiant student.
• Approach student privately and use a quiet voice.
• Establish eye contact and call student by name
  before asking them to do something.
• State commands as positive statements (do)
  instead of negative (dont).
• Phrase commands in clear, descriptive terms.

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Effective Communication Strategies

• Active Listening
• I-Centered Statements
• Pairing Criticism with Praise
• Make a request

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Conflict Pitfalls in Communication

• Avoid a mismatch between words and nonverbal
  signals.
• Take time to plan your response to provocative
  student behavior.
• Dont become entangled in a discussion or
  argument with a confrontational student.
• Dont try to coerce or force student to comply.

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Proactive Steps that minimize conflict

• Offer exit strategies for confrontational
  students
• Use face-saving alternatives rather than
  threatening tactics when redirecting behavior

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Strategies for Working with Emotionally
Unpredictable Students

• Stage 1 Frustration
• Warning Signs
• Bite nails or lips
• Frown
• Grumble
• Face becomes flush
• Appear tense
• Seem stuck on a topic or issue

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Strategies to Prevent or Reduce the Intensity of
Student Frustration

• Send student on an errand
• Permit student to go to a quiet spot Establish a
  nonverbal sign to alert student
• Encourage student to use self-calming strategies
• Give student an IOU to meet after class to
  discuss issue
• Provide alternative assignments or choices for
  students with academic weaknesses

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Strategies for Working with Emotionally
Unpredictable Students

• Stage 2 Defensiveness
• Warning Signs
• Lash out verbally at others
• Withdraw emotionally or physically
• Challenge authority of the adult
• Refuse to comply with adult requests or follow
  classroom routines
• Project blame onto others

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Strategies to Prevent or Reduce the Intensity of
Student Defensiveness

• Avoid discussions of who is right or who is in
  control
• Approach student privately with a quiet voice
• Consider an apology
• Hold peers accountable for provoking student
• Direct the student to write down concerns for
  discussion after class
• Use effective teacher commands

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Effective Teacher Commands

• Keep command brief
• State command directly
• I need you to
• Use businesslike tone, avoid anger or sarcasm
  (dont take it personally)
• Repeat command before imposing consequences

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Strategies for Working with Emotionally
Unpredictable Students

• Stage 3 Aggression
• Warning Signs
• Make verbal threats
• Use abusive language
• Assume threatening posture
• Physically strike out at peers or adults

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Strategies to React to, Prepare for or Respond to
Student Aggression

• Remove other students from vicinity
• Adopt a supportive stance
• Respect the students personal space
• Use supportive nonverbal communication
• Maintain calm tone of voice
• Do not block the door
• Deliver a clear statement of choices

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3-Step Approach for Making Requests to Upset
Students

1. Give the student two clear choices with clear
   consequences. Order them so that teacher
   preferred choice is last.
2. If student fails to comply with Step 1, state
   clearly and firmly what you want the student to
   do. Include a time limit and specify a location.
3. If the student fails to comply, enforce
   predetermined consequences

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Key Characteristics of AD

• Deficits in Social Interactions
• Socially aloof
• Inappropriate eye contact
• Desire peer interaction but are unskilled
• Have difficulty taking anothers perspective
• Appear to lack empathy

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Key Characteristics of AD

• Rules/Routines/Rituals
• Use objects in an atypical fashion
• Insist that others do things according to a
  strict structure developed by their own rules
• Strong desire for orderliness

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Key Characteristics of AD

• Language Development
• May have delays in early development followed by
  a language explosion
• May demonstrate hyperlexia but not understand
  language or pragmatics
• May engage in perseverative or repetitive speech
• Impairments in social uses of language
• Derive meaning from spoken or written word

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Key Characteristics of AD

• Poor Problem Solving and Organization
• Difficulties in situations required common
  sense, organization, or abstract reasoning
• Deficits in mental planning
• Poor impulse control
• Ineffective self-monitoring
• Difficulty transitioning from one situation to
  another

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Emotional Disorders Focus on Change

• Elements of children with a serious emotional
  or behavioral disability
• Demonstrate behavior that is noticeably different
  from that expected in school or the community.
• They are in need of instructional remediation

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Emotional Disorders Focus on Change

• Fact It is difficult to directly identify or
  remediate a students conduct disorder or
  emotional disability.
• The most effective approach is to operationally
  define and pinpoint the specific behaviors and
  remediate them.
• The two important questions to address in
  developing a behavior change plan are
• 1. What do you want the student to do
  instead?
• 2. What is the most effective and efficient
  means to help the student reach the goal?

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Strategies for helping students with Behavioral
Disabilities

• Provide Opportunities to Practice New Behaviors
• In helping students replace negative behaviors
  they need to learn new social skills. Students
  need to learn new skills and have opportunities
  to practice the skills.
• Dont assume that students already have the
  skills. They may need to learn and practice new
  skills.

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Target Prosocial Behaviors

• Some examples of prosocial behaviors include
• Taking turns, working with a partner, following
  directions
• Working in group with others
• Displaying appropriate behavior toward peers and
  adults

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Target Prosocial Behaviors

• Increasing Positive Relationships
• Demonstrating positive verbal and nonverbal
  relationships.
• Showing interest and caring
• Settling conflicts without fighting
• Displaying appropriate affect (I.e. Smiling
  when happy, serious face when concentrating)

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Understanding Inappropriate or Problem Behavior

• Understand that behavior either gets something
  or works to avoid something
• Research suggests that problem behavior serves
  one of five functions
• Access attention from peers, adults, or both
• Access tangible objects or preferred activities
• Access to internal or external stimulation
• Avoid interaction with adults, peers, or both
• Avoid tasks or responsibilities

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Understanding Inappropriate or Problem Behavior

• An intervention should allow the student to
  continue to meet his or her needs (i.e. function)
  but through more appropriate behavior
• Interventions should focus on the student and the
  teaching environment by teaching appropriate
  alternative behavior to replace problem behavior
• Appropriate behavior should be more efficient
  than the problem behavior and should be in the
  students repertoire

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