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Sign up for a free PBIS Resource Guide for Crisis Prevention

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Sign up for a free PBIS Resource Guide for Crisis Prevention

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from CPI

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Learn the secret to helping someone replace problem behavior with positive behavior.

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5 Tips for an Inclusive Classroom with Students with EBD

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5 Tips for an Inclusive Classroom with Students with EBD

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Concordia University in Portland, Oregon

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Best Practices of Behavioral Interventions for Students with Severe EBDs

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Best Practices of Behavioral Interventions for Students with Severe EBDs

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How to design/implement engaging instructional programs for students with EBD

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How to design/implement engaging instructional programs for students with EBD

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Positive Behavioral Strategies for Teachers and Paraprofessionals

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Positive Behavioral Strategies for Teachers and Paraprofessionals

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Lukowiak

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Evidence Based Teaching Strategies for students with EBD

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Evidence Based Teaching Strategies for students with EBD

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Ryan & Pierce

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Children's Mental Health and Emotional or Behavior Disorders Project

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Children's Mental Health and Emotional or Behavior Disorders Project

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"13% of students ages 8-15 have a diagnosible mental disorder during their school years."

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Having a mental health challenge or a behavioral disorder is more common than most people imagine. In fact, children are diagnosed with mental health disorders at a rate of 6.8% and at an even higher rate in adolescence. It is likely that each of us has known someone with a mental health or behavioral challenge or had one ourselves. Mental health disorders don't discriminate based on age, race, gender, ethnicity, occupation, religion, economic class, or ethnic background. Misconceptions about mental health can contribute to the lack of funding and public support for effective treatment and supports for children and young adults.

Check Your Knowledge

1. True or False: A youth who has biological parents with a mental illness will also develop a mental illness.

Check Answer

False. Research has found that having a biological relative such as a parent, grandparent, or sibling with a mental illness is a risk factor; it does not determine whether someone will develop a mental illness. Other risk factors associated with developing a mental illness include having a chronic medical condition, experiencing abuse as a child, experiencing traumatic life situations, exposure to toxins such as alcohol during pregnancy, or misuse of substances including alcohol or drugs. Research demonstrates that protective factors can help to counteract these risk factors. Examples of protective factors include a good social support system, adequate food, safe shelter, financial security, good problem-solving skills, and access to positive recreational activities.

2. True or False: Children and teens can have a mental illness.

Check Answer

True. Childhood mental health disorder is a term used to explain all mental disorders that can be diagnosed and begin in childhood. Many adults who have a diagnosed psychiatric disorder experienced the onset of their symptoms in adolescence or childhood. Embarrassment, fear, peer pressure, lack of community support, and stigma can prevent or delay a person from getting help. Early intervention is important to managing and recovering from mental health challenges.

To learn more about children's mental health:

3. True or False: Children or youth with mental health challenges never get better.

Check Answer

False. With the right kind of medical care, many children and youth who experience mental health challenges can and do lead healthy, productive, and satisfying daily lives. While the illness may not go away, the symptoms or challenges can be managed with appropriate treatment and support. Many individuals benefit from supports and interventions that are evidence-based and guided by principles of self-determination, recovery, and cultural competency.

To learn more about leading healthy, productive, and satisfying daily lives:

4. True or False: All youth who misuse drugs or alcohol are choosing not to get their act together.

Check Answer

5. True or False: Schools have a responsibility to help children with mental health challenges.

Check Answer

True. Children are required to attend school. Public schools are required to provide education for all students, including those with disabilities. There are options for a child with mental health challenges who is having difficulty with school, including both informal and formal supports. An informal support could be attending a "friendship group" or having a "check-in" person. A formal support might include having a 504 Plan, or doing an evaluation for Special Education services. Some schools have school-wide initiatives to promote the mental health and wellness of all students. These might include positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS), social-emotional learning (SEL) , school-linked mental health services, bullying prevention initiatives, trauma-informed care, and youth mental health crisis response services.

To learn more about supports in schools:

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Children's Mental Health and Emotional or Behavioral Disorders Project - Inspiring Opportunities

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Families of children with mental health, emotional and behavioral needs often navigate multiple systems to access necessary supports and services. Families may also face additional challenges due to stigma about mental health. PACER's Inspiring Opportunities Project will bring together parents, youth and professionals to help families receive the resources and support their children need.

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Ideal Behavior vs. Cause for Concern...how a teacher or parent can teach appropriate strategies for students to use

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Ideal Behavior vs. Cause for Concern...how a teacher or parent can teach appropriate strategies for students to use

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Article can be found here: https://www.naset.org/index.php?id=3652

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Blogs for teachers and parents of students with EBD

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Blogs for teachers and parents of students with EBD

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from the Special Education Resource Website

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Children with Emotional Behavior Disorders, just like all children, learn in their own unique way. Luckily Special Education Resources can help in success

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Types of anxiety a teacher might see in the classroom

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Sometimes anxiety is easy to identify - like when a child is feeling nervous before a test at school. Other times anxiety in the classroom can look like something else entirely - an upset stomach, disruptive or angry behavior, ADHD, or even a learning disorder.

There are many different kinds of anxiety, which is one of the reasons it can be hard to detect in the classroom. What they all have in common, says neurologist and former teacher Ken Schuster, PsyD, is that anxiety "tends to lock up the brain," making school hard for anxious kids.

Children can struggle with:

Separation anxiety: When children are worried about being separated from caregivers. These kids can have a hard time at school drop-offs and throughout the day.

Social anxiety: When children are excessively self-conscious, making it difficult for them to participate in class and socialize with peers.

Selective mutism: When children have a hard time speaking in some settings, like at school around the teacher.

Generalized anxiety: When children worry about a wide variety of everyday things. Kids with generalized anxiety often worry particularly about school performance and can struggle with perfectionism.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder: When children's minds are filled with unwanted and stressful thoughts. Kids with OCD try to alleviate their anxiety by performing compulsive rituals like counting or washing their hands.

Specific phobias: When children have an excessive and irrational fear of particular things, like being afraid of animals or storms.

Here are some tips for recognizing anxiety in kids at school, and what might be causing it.

Inattention and restlessness

When a child is squirming in his seat and not paying attention, we tend to think of ADHD, but anxiety could also be the cause. When kids are anxious in the classroom, they might have a hard time focusing on the lesson and ignoring the worried thoughts overtaking their brains. "Some kids might appear really 'on' at one point but then they can suddenly drift away, depending on what they're feeling anxious about," says Dr. Schuster. "That looks like inattention, and it is, but it's triggered by anxiety."

Attendance problems and clingy kids

It might look like truancy, but for kids for whom school is a big source of anxiety, refusing to go to school is also pretty common. School refusal rates tend to be higher after vacations or sick days, because kids have a harder time coming back after a few days away.

Going to school can also be a problem for kids who have trouble separating from their parents. Some amount of separation anxiety is normal, but when kids don't adjust to separation over time and their anxiety makes going to school difficult or even impossible, it becomes a real problem. Kids with separation anxiety may also feel compelled to use their phones throughout the day to check in with their parents.

Disruptive behavior

Acting out is another thing we might not associate with anxiety. But when a student is compulsively kicking the chair of the kid in front of him, or throws a tantrum whenever the schedule is ignored or a classmate isn't following the rules, anxiety may well be the cause. Similarly, kids who are feeling anxious might ask a lot of questions, including repetitive ones, because they are feeling worried and want reassurance.

Anxiety can also make kids aggressive. When children are feeling upset or threatened and don't know how to handle their feelings, their fight or flight response to protect themselves can kick in - and some kids are more likely to fight. They might attack another child or a teacher, throw things, or push over a desk because they're feeling out of control.

Trouble answering questions in class

Sometimes kids will do perfectly well on tests and homework, but when they're called on in class teachers hit a wall. There are several different reasons why this might happen.

"Back when I was teaching, I would notice that when I had to call on someone, or had to figure out who's turn it was to speak, it was like the anxious kid always tended to disappear," says Dr. Schuster. "The eager child is making eye contact, they're giving you some kind of physical presence in the room like 'Call on me, call on me!' " But when kids are anxious about answering questions in class, "they're going to break eye contact, they might look down, they might start writing something even though they're not really writing something. They're trying to break the connection with the teacher in order to avoid what's making them feel anxious."

If they do get called on, sometimes kids get so anxious that they freeze. They might have been paying attention to the lesson and they might even know the answer, but when they're called on their anxiety level becomes so heightened that they can't respond.

Frequent trips to the nurse

Anxiety can manifest in physical complaints, too. If a student is having unexplained headaches, nausea, stomachaches, or even vomiting, those could be symptoms of anxiety. So can a racing heart, sweaty palms, tense muscles, and being out of breath.

Problems in certain subjects

When a child starts doubting her abilities in a subject, anxiety can become a factor that gets in the way of her learning or showing what she knows. Sometimes this can be mistaken for a learning disorder when it's really just anxiety.

However anxiety can also go hand in hand with learning disorders. When kids start noticing that something is harder for them than the other kids, and that they are falling behind, they can understandably get anxious. The period before a learning disorder is diagnosed can be particularly stressful for kids.

Not turning in homework

When a student doesn't turn in her homework, it could be because she didn't do it, but it could also be because she is worried that it isn't good enough. Likewise, anxiety can lead to second guessing - an anxious child might erase his work over and over until there's a hole in the paper - and spending so much time on something that it never gets finished. We tend to think of perfectionism as a good thing, but when children are overly self-critical it can sabotage even the things they are trying their hardest at, like school work.

You might also notice that some anxious kids will start worrying about tests much earlier than their classmates and may begin dreading certain assignments, subjects, or even school itself.

Avoiding socializing or group work

Some kids will avoid or even refuse to participate in the things that make them anxious. This includes obvious anxiety triggers like giving presentations, but also things like gym class, eating in the cafeteria, and doing group work.

When kids start skipping things it might look to their teachers and peers like they are uninterested or underachieving, but the opposite might be true. Sometimes kids avoid things because they are afraid of making a mistake or being judged.

Dr. Schuster notes that when kids get anxious in social situations, sometimes they have a much easier time showing what they know when teachers engage them one-to-one, away from the group.

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How Does Anxiety Affect Kids in School? - Child Mind Institute

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Sometimes school anxiety is easy to identify - like when a child is feeling nervous before a test at school. Other times anxiety in the classroom can look like something else entirely - an upset stomach, disruptive or angry behavior, ADHD, or even a learning disorder.

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Characteristics of a behavioral disorder according to NSTA (National Science Teachers Association)

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Characteristics of a behavioral disorder according to NSTA (National Science Teachers Association)

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Among the characteristics of a behavioral disorder among children and adolescents are:

1. Initiation of aggressive behavior and reacting aggressively towards others.

2. A display of bullying, threatening, or intimidating behavior.

3. Being physically abusive of others.

4. Deliberate destruction of other's property.

5. Showing little empathy and concern for the feelings, wishes, and well-being of others.

6. Showing callous behavior towards others and lack of feelings of guilt or remorse.

7. They may readily inform on their companions and tend to blame others for their own misdeeds

8. Disrupts classroom activities

9. Impulsive

10. Inattentive, distractible

11. Preoccupied

12. Does not follow or appear to care about classroom rules

13. Poor concentration

14. Resistance to change and transitions in routines

15. Often speaks out with irrelevant information or without regard to turn taking rules

16. Demonstrates aggressive behavior

17. Regularly absent from school

18. consistently blames others for their dishonesty

19. Low self esteem

20. Difficulty working in groups

21. Demonstrate self-injurious behavior

22. Cannot apply social rules related to others personal space and belongings

23. Often manipulative of situations

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-Word processing program to be able to edit and re-edit work
-Class Dojo for a behavior incentive and data tracking

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Emotional Disturbances can include the following disorders...

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Emotional Disturbances can include the following disorders...

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-Generalized anxiety disorder
-Mood disorder
-Oppositional defiant disorder,
-Conduct disorder
-Schizophrenia.

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"The U.S. Department of Education reports 5,971,495 students receiving special education services in the 2003-2004 school year. Of that number, roughly 7.7%, or 461,055 students, received special education services based on a classification of emotional disturbance."

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by Project IDEAL

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Powerpoint Presentation- What is an emotional disturbance?

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Powerpoint Presentation- What is an emotional disturbance?

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by Project IDEAL

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Definition

Students with emotional disorders are a very heterogeneous group with a wide range of issues that are unique to each individual. However, there are some key characteristics that are used to define this disability category, mostly relating to issues of personal identity and emotional well-being. An emotional disorder may be present if a student responds to a situation with an inappropriate behavior or emotion, and particularly, if this emotion is depression or long term unhappiness. Students with emotional disorders typically have a very difficult time maintaining personal relationships with others, and these personal problems lead to physical symptoms in time. If the student has difficulty learning, but there is no intellectual or sensory cause of this difficulty, then an emotional disorder may be to blame. This disability category does include some mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.

It should be noted that one or more of the previously mentioned characteristics has to be present for an extended period of time, and must have a negative impact on the student's academic performance before being considered an emotional disorder. Signs of an emotional disorder need to be taken seriously, as they can lead to physical aggression and self-injurious behavior. However, care must also be taken to recognize the difference between emotional disturbance and general teenage angst. There are as many causes of emotional disturbance in children as there are children in this category, but they can generally be divided into either biological causes, environmental causes, or a combination of the two.

Prevalence

The U.S. Department of Education reports 5,971,495 students receiving special education services in the 2003-2004 school year. Of that number, roughly 7.7%, or 461,055 students, received special education services based on a classification of emotional disturbance. However, within this group of 461,055 students, there was a definite disproportionally between gender, race and socioeconomic background. African-American students were far more likely to be diagnosed as emotionally disturbed than white students, reflecting possible race bias in this category. Research has pointed to a direct correlation between low income status and emotional disorders, but the exact reasons for this correlation are unknown.

Characteristics

Each student with an emotional disturbance will have characteristics that are unique to that individual. However, these students will all share deficits in three specific areas, namely emotional development, behavioral development, and cognitive development.

These students may have specific emotional characteristics/conditions such as anxiety disorder, mood disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, and schizophrenia. Not addressing any one of these disorders with the appropriate support system could have potentially tragic results. Behavioral characteristics of an emotional disorder include externalizing behavior and conversely internalizing behavior. The former can result in problem behavior and physical aggression while the latter results in depression and anxiety. Finally, students with emotional disorders have a number of academic issues as well, and each year half of the students in this category drop out of school entirely.

One intriguing possible contributing factor to emotional disturbance can be found in deficits in communication. An estimated 71% of students with emotional disorders also have expressive and receptive language disorders that impact their ability to understand and communicate with peers and adults.

Impact on Learning

Students with emotional disorders can be found at every level of cognitive functioning, but the majority of these students tend to have low average intelligence. Most achieve below grade level in academic achievement, with the greatest deficits in both math and spelling. Many have a coexisting learning disability of some type. Students that exhibit externalizing behaviors are at the greatest risk for continued deficits in academic functioning. Students with emotional disorders are less likely to attend post-secondary school than students in many other disability categories. An effective educational program for students with emotional disorders will provide emotional and behavioral supports that foster the replacement of problem behaviors with more appropriate behaviors. Positive behavior support systems are one especially effective strategy to achieve this goal, as are the implementation of wraparound services.

Teaching Strategies

Wraparound planning is a collaborative process that has shown great promise in supporting students with emotional disorders, both in research and in more practical application. This planning process brings all of the involved service providers (i.e., adult rehabilitation services, mental health services, guidance counselor) and individuals together to create a natural support system that is founded on the strengths of the individual student and the community in which that student lives. The family is an integral part of this process, and the overall goal is to devise a program that will capitalize on the strengths and interests of the student while utilizing community resources for placement and intervention.

Generally, academic achievement and problem behaviors often go hand-in-hand for students with emotional disorders. To put this another way, the more difficulty they have with a classroom task, the more likely that maladaptive behavior will result. Supporting the academic performance of these students will thus have the added benefit of decreasing externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Best practices for students with emotional disorders are often best practices for all students. A strategy such as allowing students to choose between classroom tasks, for example, is an effective way to decrease problem behaviors in general. Consistent and specific praise is also a great technique to utilize with all students in the classroom, but can be particularly effective with students with emotional disorders.

It is very important to not make assumptions about any family of a child with an emotional disorder. Many emotional disorders have an organic cause, and the parents of the child may well be loving and supportive in every way. However, some of these students have indeed been abused in some fashion in their young lives, and this too can be a cause of emotional or behavioral issues. Trust can be a very large issue for these children. Forming a relationship with these students that is built on empathy, trust, and mutual respect can often be the solution to many problem behaviors, and can have a lasting impact of the emotional development of the child.

Assistive Technology

Some modification in instruction will be necessary to allow a student with an emotional disorder to demonstrate mastery in a number of academic areas, and most especially in the area of writing. Word processing software can be an excellent supplementary aid for these students, allowing them to edit and revise their work as they produce it. These programs can strengthen spelling skills and writing cohesion simply by making the writing process easier overall. Of particular benefit are word processing programs that read the text as it is typed, providing an additional audio cue for the student.

Organizations

There are a number of excellent organizations that can help support classroom instruction for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. The information presented in this module is intended as just a very brief description of emotional disorder and its impact on learning. Much more in-depth information and instructional strategies can be accessed through the following organizations:

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

The AACAP (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) is the leading national professional medical association dedicated to treating and improving the quality of life for children, adolescents, and families affected by these disorders. Composed of over 7,500 child and adolescent psychiatrists and other interested physicians, its members actively research, evaluate, diagnose, and treat psychiatric disorders and pride themselves on giving direction to and responding quickly to new developments in addressing the health care needs of children and their families.

Public Information Office
3615 Wisconsin Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20016-3007

Web: www.aacap.org

Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports

The OSEP-funded National Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavior and Intervention Supports was established to address the behavioral and discipline systems needed for successful learning and social development of students. The Center provides capacity-building information and technical support about behavioral systems to assist states and districts in the design of effective schools.

5262 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403-5262

Email: pbis@oregon.uregon.edu
Web: www.pbis.org

Center for Disability and Development

Dept. of Educational Psychology
4225 Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 77843-4225

Council for Exceptional Children

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. CEC advocates for appropriate governmental policies, sets professional standards, provides continual professional development, advocates for newly and historically underserved individuals with exceptionalities, and helps professionals obtain conditions and resources necessary for effective professional practice.

1110 North Glebe Road, Suite 300
Arlington, VA 22201-5704

Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health

This organization is dedicated exclusively to helping children with mental health needs and their families achieve a better quality of life. They provide leadership to develop and sustain a nationwide network of family-run organizations; focus the passion and cultural diversity of our membership to be a potent force for changing how systems respond to children with mental health needs and their families; help policy-makers, agencies, and providers become more effective in delivering services and supports that foster healthy emotional development for all children.

1101 King Street, Suite 420
Alexandria, VA 22314

Email: ffcmh@ffcmh.org
Web: www.ffcmh.org

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)

NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation's largest grassroots organization for people with mental illness and their families. NAMI is dedicated to the eradication of mental illnesses and to the improvement of the quality of life for persons of all ages who are affected by mental illnesses. NAMI members and friends work to fulfill our mission by providing support, education, and advocacy.

Colonial Place Three
2107 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 300
Arlington, VA 22203-3754

Web: www.nami.org

Mental Health America

Mental Health America is dedicated to helping ALL people live mentally healthier lives. They work to fulfill this mission by education the public about ways to preserve and strengthen mental health; advocating for access to effective care; fostering innovation in research, practice, services and policy; and providing support to individuals and families.

2001 N. Beauregard Street, 12th Floor
Alexandria, VA 22311

Web: www.nmha.org

National Mental Health Information Center

The National Mental Health Information Center was developed for users of mental health services and their families, the general public, policy makers, providers, and the media. They provide free information about mental health via a toll-free number, their website, and more than 600 publications.

P.O. Box 42557
Washington, DC 20015

Web: www.mentalhealth.org

References

Hunt, N., and Marshall, K. (2006). Exceptional children and youth. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (2004). Fact Sheet 5. Retrieved February 1, 2008 from www.nichcy.org/pubs/factshe/fs5txt.htm.

Turnbull, A., Turnbull, R. & Wehmeyer, M. L. (2007). Exceptional lives. Special education in today's schools. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.

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Students with emotional disorders typically have a hard time maintaining relationships, and these personal problems may lead to physical symptoms in time.

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from IRIS