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Specifically thinking about inclusion based special education programs, this video will give general education teachers, who might not have experience working with students under this eligibility a concise overview of what Emotional Disturbance is and looks like. This video also talks about how a label should not impact the type of services a child receives, which is important for both special and general educators to know.

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Emotional Disturbance in Special Education - The IDEA's Special Education Categories

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NAMI is an organization that provides resources and services for parents, families, and students who are dealing with and need support with mental health issues. This weblink links directly to NAMI's Los Angeles chapter. On this website, families will have access to resources such as crisis hotlines and parent classes focused on teaching parents how to better support their child in a time of crisis.

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NAMI Greater Los Angeles County - Support for Mental Health

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NAMI Greater Los Angeles County offers support for those affected by mental illness through advocacy, free mental health support, online groups & award-winning education.

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What Parents Need to Know About their Rights

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What Parents Need to Know About their Rights

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This website will provide parents with a quick overview of their rights and what their contribution to the IEP process looks like. Topics discussed include requesting an Initial assessment and what the parent can request before and during an IEP meeting, such as educational records. This website is particularly topical for parents with high school students because it also discusses the transition element of IEPs and what happens if their child with an IEP needs to remain in the school setting for a bit longer.

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What Parents Need to Know About Special Education Rights

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Special education law covers a broad continuum of students. This article walks you through the basics of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

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The Westside Regional Center is located in Los Angeles and provides a plethora of services for families that have children under the emotional disturbance eligibility, but also students with other eligibilities. Services that Westside Regional provides includes advocates, individuals you invite to IEP meetings for extra support and to ensure your child's school is being held accountable. Notably, they also have resources for adults with disabilities, including resources for independent living. Specifically for children under the emotional disturbance eligibility, Westside Regional provides support for understanding mental health resources and documents such as behavioral intervention plans (BIPs).

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These words form the basis of four principles to which Westside is committed for all of the services we provide. Those principles are:

All individuals with disabilities and their families will be-not only integrated-but involved, included and welcomed in community life, in jobs, in school and at home.

Each client will be viewed as part of a social unit defined as "family", which includes those people who have a close and significant relationship to the individual. Westside will support and protect the strength and stability of this unit.

Individuals with developmental disabilities and their families will be empowered to take control of, and responsibility for, their lives; to make informed choices about where and how they live, where they go to school, and where they work; to become active and influential in their communities; and to become agents of change concerning their rights and wishes.

The focus will change: from bureaucratic to people-driven; from "professional" on one side and "family" on the other to partnership. Both families and staff will be encouraged to be responsible and creative, fortified by a full range of information and education. Intelligent use of resources will result in the highest quality of service within the parameters of a reasonable budget.

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These words form the basis of four principles to which Westside is committed for all of the services we provide. Those principles are: All individuals with disabilities and their families will be-not only integrated-but involved, included and welcomed in community life, in jobs, in school and at home.

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American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 

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American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 

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This website specifically talks more mood disorders, which are common for children under the eligibility of emotional disturbance. This website provides introductory information to a wide range of "disorders," such as bipolar disorder. It also provides trauma resource centers.

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content_area

AACAP's Facts for Families provides concise up-to-date information on issues that affect children, teenagers, and their families.

Parents' Medication Guide

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) created Impairing Emotional Outbursts: Parents' Medication Guide.

Included in this guide is new research on effective treatments for child and adolescent impairing emotional outbursts. The goal of the guide is to help parents make informed decisions about getting the best care for a child or adolescent with impairing emotional outbursts.

Rating Scales

ARI - Affective Reactivity Index

Emotion Dysregulation Inventory (EMO-I) - The Emotional Outburst Inventory (EMO-I) is a brief screening tool for irritability and severe emotional outbursts in youth.

RMOAS - Revised Modified Overt Aggression Scale-scale of severity of aggressive behavior on a weekly basis; has been used as an outcome measure for aggression treatment studies

More Resources

These apps can be helpful tools for people with emotion dysregulation. They should be used alongside comprehensive assessment and treatment from a trained mental health professional.

Taming Tantrums"Taming Tantrums" App - a collection of phrases to reduce tears and tantrums and increase cooperation in young children.

Grump MeterThe Grump Meter helps kids and adults recognize and name their emotions, prevent "losing their heads on red", and achieve calmer, more peaceful, and empathic interactions.

RegnaTales, a series of 6 mobile apps, was created in response to the above advantages of using mobile technology and serious games to increase access to treatment and enhance the motivation of children to learn skills. RegnaTales

T2 Mood Tracker
Mood Tracker allows users to monitor their moods on six pre-loaded scales (anxiety, stress, depression, brain injury, post-traumatic stress, general well-being). Custom scales can also be built.

Demonstrating the Six Steps of De-escalation

How to Communicate With Angry or Aggressive Kids

Self-Regulation Strategies for Kids: Expert Tips to Manage Outbursts

What To Do When Your Child Throws A Temper Tantrum

Tips During Tantrums

1. Keep cool

2. Model appropriate behavior

3. Contain a tantrum (in safe room)

4. Public place-remove child from store and return when calm

5. Take away the pay off (do not be trained by negative reinforcement)

@preschooltherapy
Best tip during tantrums: stay calm. Taking a breath can help you and your child. #tiktoktherapist #tantrum #parenting101 #edutok #toddlerparents
♬ bgm_track_0121_cinematic_moody_minimalist - Unknown
Teaching kids to deal with emotions
@preschooltherapy
Teaching kids to deal with emotions. #tiktoktherapist #childmentalhealth #tantrum #momsoftiktok #dadsoftiktok #teachersoftiktok
♬ UNDERWATER WONDERSCAPES (MASTER) - Frederic Bernard

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irritability & emotional dysregulation resource center - parents families

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Many children lose their temper or become frustrated and upset. Learning how to regulate emotions is a normal part of growing up. Some children and adolescents' outbursts that are impairing and extreme. Their outbursts may include verbal symptoms (su

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Students can qualify for the eligibility of Emotional Disturbance for a plethora of reasons. One reason can be related to a traumatic, or series of traumatic events that a child has gone through. This book talks about such thing, and also details how a traumatic event can impact a child's access to the general education curriculum and impact their ability to socially connect with their peers.

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Good Will Hunting is a movie about a man named Will, who has the capability to achieve great things, but needs more support accessing the life that he desires. This movie, while certainly needing to be censored with some of its more adult themes, serves as a lesson for students that when you accept the supports given to you, you can succeed and feel fulfilled in multiple aspects of your life.

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This movie is about a teenage boy who is left at his boarding school over the Christmas break. Similar to other novels, movies, and tv shows featured in this toolbox, this movie details how a student's personal life, relationships, and trauma directly effects their academic and social success. It is important when thinking about students with Emotional Disturbance to remember that a lot of them have real traumas that have led to the classification of Emotional Disturbance. This movie also shows the importance of positive teacher and staff relationships for students.

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Another reason students might qualify for the eligibility is for their eating disorders. This episode of "Full House" looks into how young girls might fall into the trappings of eating disorders because of the societal expectations surrounding them. This episode further depicts how eating disorders affect all aspects of a child's life.

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This website gives an in-depth overview of what Emotional Disturbance is and how it impacts students academically. This website also provides helpful instructional tips to better support students under the Emotional Disturbance label.

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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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For students under the eligibility of emotional disturbance, they have a hard time accessing the general education classroom, generally, for social reasons. For this reason, it is important for educators to build trust with students under the emotional disturbance label so they are learning how to build healthy relationships with both their peers and adults. These tips will ultimately help students under the emotional disturbance label succeed academically in the classroom as well.

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-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Building trust in the classroom can seem like a daunting task, especially when factors like resource availability and family influences are mostly outside a teacher's control. However, teachers do have a strong tool for building trust within their classrooms: building relationships -those between teachers and students, and those among students.

Build a Classroom Community

Relationship-building must be intentional in classrooms. Everyone wants to feel seen and valued, but not all young people can find that for themselves, or know how to be present for others. Teachers and structured activities have an important role to play here, and the earlier group norms and understandings are developed, the safer and more encouraging the classroom space will be.

Try a group-building activity. Get to Know You and Establish Group Norms is designed to build trust. Doing this activity before other relationship-building activities helps establish a foundation for future work. Participants, including teaching staff, get to know each other by exploring what they have in common, and what differentiates them from the others. Then participants discuss what they need from the group to feel comfortable sharing thoughts and feelings.

Another foundational, more individualized relationship-building activity is 2 x 10: Getting to Know A Student. Here, teachers spend two minutes a day for ten days getting to know a student with whom they wish to foster a positive relationship.

Give Wise Feedback

Building trust and learning in the classroom is often about lifting up students, communicating high expectations, and your belief in their ability to reach those expectations. Everyone should feel valued and challenged, and be valued and challenged by their peers. This is the basis of giving wise feedback and creating a culture of respectful, encouraging classroom communication. It is also an effective method, for teachers of middle and high school students, to give feedback that builds students' academic mindset, trust, and positive identity.

Stereotype Anxiety

All students want to be successful, but some face more barriers than others in reaching their dreams. Stereotype threat-or the anxiety that results from the possibility of being reduced to a negative stereotype based on group membership- is one such barrier.

Research shows that by the time students reach 7th grade, they are aware of negative stereotypes associated with their racial, ethnic, gender, or other group membership, and they may be concerned that their teachers believe these stereotypes. Teachers unknowingly confirm this belief in many ways, including giving remedial schoolwork or overpraising students' efforts.

If this is experienced often, a student may stop caring about a particular subject area or even academic success in general.

However, research shows that by communicating high expectations and a belief in students' ability to meet those expectations, or "giving wise feedback," teachers can assure students that they are not being judged based on a negative stereotype-instead, they are being seen in their full humanity.

This not only builds trust between teachers and students, but it also helps students to view themselves as academically capable-thus enhancing their academic identity as learners and, hopefully, lessening the effect of any future stereotype threat.

Respect Matters

Trust is a core feature of effective schools and learning. According to a recent long-term study of 400 Chicago elementary schools, relational trust is grounded in the social respect that comes from the kinds of social interactions that take place across the school community. Respectful exchanges are marked by genuinely listening to what each person has to say and by taking these views into account in subsequent actions. Even when people disagree, they can still feel valued if others appear to respect their opinions.

As teachers and students interact with one another around the work of schooling, they can't help but sense the intentions underlying each other's actions. They consider how others' efforts advance their own interests or impinge on their self-esteem. In a positive scenario, this can build trust and camaraderie in the classroom. If, on the other hand, a student feels ostracized or talked down to, for example, or a teacher is disrespected, this can lead to a deterioration of the classroom environment.

Building trust is about creating respectful relationships to empower young people to follow their dreams. A comprehensive approach to making this happen can be found in the Developmental Relationships Framework. When young people experience these Developmental Relationships in their families, schools, programs, and communities, they are more likely to be resilient in the face of challenges and to grow up thriving.

For further resources, visit the Search Institute Resources Hub, a research-based collection of tools, activities, measures and other resources designed to support you in helping young people succeed and thrive.

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Key Strategies for Building Trust in the Classroom

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Creating group norms, giving wise feedback, and treating all students with respect build trust with students in the classroom.

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For students under the Emotional Disturbance label, you never know how previous interactions with teachers, school staff, or adults in their personal life has shaped their perspective of what they can achieve in the classroom, and in life in general. In order for a student to feel safe and comfortable in the classroom, it is essential that these students are receiving positive praise, whether that be for being on task or engaging in positive social interactions. This ensures that they understand that they have supportive people in their lives that want them to succeed. Moreover, this article also discusses behavior-specific praise which is a good technique for students under the emotional disturbance eligibility.

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The power of effective praise: A guide for teachers

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Learn about the power of praise in the classroom. Get techniques for giving effective praise to your students. Learn how to motivate and engage students with meaningful praise.

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Common Accommodations for Students with Emotional Disturbance

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Common Accommodations for Students with Emotional Disturbance

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This article provides an oversight, for both general and special educators, of common and useful accommodations for students with Emotional Disturbance. These accommodations range from structured routines to accommodations more focused on the social aspects of school, like lunch time or nutrition.

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If you're a special education teacher working with students who have emotional and behavioral disorders, you know that accommodations are key to helping them succeed. But what accommodations are best for these students? In this blog post, you will learn about accommodations for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) that have proven to be effective for students.

Remember, it is extremely important to collect data on what accommodations are suitable for each student. It is oftentimes trial and error to determine what are the most effective strategies for each student. This is not an exhaustive list but rather ideas and suggestions for the first phase of the process in deciding how to help students succeed.

ENCOURAGE POSITIVE BEHAVIORS

One of the most important accommodations for students with EBD is to provide them with a positive and structured environment. This means discouraging negative behavior while rewarding appropriate behavior. Some ways to do this include setting clear rules and expectations, providing positive reinforcement when students display good behavior, and using a token economy system to reward positive behaviors.

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS-PARTICIPATING IN CLASS

Another important accommodation for students with EBD is to encourage them to participate in class. This means giving them opportunities to answer questions, offer their opinions, work with their peers, and complete assignments.

Examples of accommodations and modifications are:

providing clear instructions

breaking down tasks into smaller steps

offer choices when able

give students extra time to complete assignments.

Making class participation an effective part of normal circumstances, will shift students' focus off their disability, and increase their tendency to strive for better grades.

PROVIDE PROPER ASSIGNMENTS

It's important to give students with EBD assignments that are within their abilities and that match their educational level. Additionally, the types of accommodations in their IEP and individualized education program can be provided to help these students succeed.

Some examples of accommodations that have been found to be effective for students with EBD include:

- Testing accommodations such as extended time on tests, and small group testing environment

-Use of a calculator on math tests and homework

-Extended time on assignments that are in the general education curriculum

- Movement breaks as needed: use a pass system for breaks

- Offer choices: for example, students can demonstrate comprehension of a subject by handing in a traditional paper, video, or poster, etc.

- Preferential seating arrangements

- Frequent check-ins with the teacher

- Alternative seating such as wiggle cushions or exercise ball seating

ENSURE ACCOUNTABILITY - ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS

It's important for students with EBD to be held accountable for their behavior and actions. This means making sure they understand the consequences of their choices. Some ways to do this include:

- Having clear rules and expectations in place

- Providing immediate feedback to the student

-Use non-verbal cues or a code word to communicate inappropriate behavior

- Encouraging the student to take ownership of their actions

- Imposing consequences for severe inappropriate types of behavior

ENCOURAGE STUDENTS WITH EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS TO PARTICIPATE IN SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Many students with EBD struggle with social interactions. It can be helpful to encourage them to participate in social activities, such as lunchtime groups, class discussions, or extracurricular activities. This can help them to develop their social skills and make friends. With satisfactory interpersonal relationships in hand, students can hope to avoid a general pervasive mood of unhappiness.

Accommodations or modifications for social skills could possibly include:

small group work

lunch time with small number of peers

Seat the student close to a positive role model

provide additional personal space between desks

partnering with a peer to encourage social skills.

WORK WITH COLLEAGUES, COUNSELORS, OR PSYCHOLOGISTS

If you are having difficulty managing a student with EBD, don't hesitate to ask for help from your colleagues or school administration. There are many resources available to help educators support students with EBD. If a student's emotional or behavioral problems are causing intense difficulty in the classroom, it may be necessary to seek help from a counselor or school psychologist.

Counselors or psychologists can provide interventions, therapy, and guidance to help the student deal with their emotions and behavior. They might also be able to give students the peace of mind they need to focus on their academic subjects.

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS-CALM ENVIRONMENT AND SCHOOL ROUTINES

There are a few things that can be done in the classroom to help accommodate students with emotional and behavioral disorders. One of the most important is to create a calm and organized environment cutting down on emotional disturbances. This can be done by:

- Putting up calming decorations, such as pictures of nature or peaceful scenes

-Providing a calm classroom environment - Keep the classroom quiet during higher-level learning.

-Offering a calming corner in the classroom or hallway

- Keeping noise levels down

- Having a predictable schedule

-Noise cancelling headphones

-Dim lighting

- Having clear rules and expectations

- Providing structure and routine

-Use visual supports to reinforce the predictability of the routine

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH ANXIETY DISORDERS

Students with anxiety disorders can often find it difficult to focus in the classroom. Accommodations that may be helpful for students with this diagnosis include:

- Allowing them to take breaks as needed

- Giving them more time to complete tasks

-Weight daily work higher than tests of test anxiety is present

- Helping them prepare for tests and assignments

- Encouraging them to participate in social activities

- Putting them in a designated seat away from distractions

-Provide organizers for lockers/desk to help with predictability

- Using calming decorations, such as pictures of nature or peaceful scenes.

Read more about writing and students with anxiety here.

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS-AUTISM SPECTRUM

Students with autism spectrum disorders often have difficulty with communication and social interaction. This is by no means an extensive list but help to provide basic suggestions. Accommodations that may be helpful for these students include:

- Preferential seating

- Allowing them to take breaks as needed

- Encouraging them to be social with their peers

-Helping them learn and identify their sensory needs

- Using visual supports to aid with communication, directions, and routine.

Read more on accommodations and students with autism.

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DEPRESSION

Students with depression often have low energy levels and difficulty concentrating. It can have a profound effect on a person's thoughts, emotions, and behavior. Accommodations that may be helpful for these students include:

- Allowing them to take downtime when necessary

- Encouraging them to talk and interact with peers

- Helping them with schoolwork and studying for tests

- Giving them longer periods of time to complete tasks

- Breaking assignments down into simpler steps

-Recognizing when health factors or physical symptoms may be causing an inability to focus.

- Self-monitoring checklists to stay on task

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS- BIPOLAR DISORDER

Students with bipolar disorder can experience extreme mood swings, from mania to depression that can cause many school problems and conduct disorders. Students may feel intensely happy, and then quickly feel very depressed. Accommodations that may be helpful for these students include:

- Preferential seating

-Reduced workload during difficult times

- Allowing them to take a pause if the classroom environment is too much

-Encouraging positive behavior and social activities with peers

- Breaking tasks down into small, manageable steps

-Organizational supports

- Monitoring the variables in their moods and adjusting their accommodations as needed.

Accommodations can be an important tool in helping students with emotional and behavioral disorders succeed in the classroom. By understanding the condition and implementing appropriate accommodations, it is possible to create a learning environment that meets the student's needs.

LEARNING TO KNOW WHICH ACCOMMODATIONS TO CHOOSE

Learn more about the difference between accommodations and modifications here.
5 Different Ways to Use Accommodations in the Classroom 504 Accommodations for ADHD
Most importantly, teach your students how to learn about their strengths, challenges and accommodations to empower them to live a more independent life at school, home and the workplace. You can follow this 10 step process starting today with the Self-Advocacy for Students Workbook.

It is critical to determine what accommodations work for each student using data collection and feedback. Research indicates that this is often highly imprecise. The information can be presented differently, responses can change, the environment can be altered, time constraints can be eliminated and specialized tools/technology can help! Take the time to determine what is the best options for each individual student.

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Accommodations for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

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Learn about accommodations for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) that have proven to be effective for students.

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This article discusses the importance of teaching students self advocacy skills. Teaching students with Emotional Disturbance self advocacy is essential when creating a trusting and safe environment for them to learn in. This ensures that they can effectively express their feelings, like when something triggers or upsets them, and build positive relationships with both adults and their peers.

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Self-Advocacy Skills: 14 Strategies to Help Kids & Teens Learn to Advocate

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Self-advocacy is a critical skill for children and young adults. In the simplest terms, it is the ability to use strategies to get your needs met. Without a doubt, stronger self-advocacy skills can help kids improve academics, strengthen relationships, and build confidence as their authentic self.

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This article discusses various conflict resolutions techniques that can be used in the classroom. For students with emotional disturbance, often they have a hard time building positive relationships with the people around them. This can be because they have a hard time regulating their emotions. Thus, this article also provides scenarios that show how to teach an angry student conflict resolution techniques.

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This article talks about co-regulation, where adults step in to help their child navigate through big and difficult emotions. It is common for students with emotional disturbance to have a difficult time regulating their emotions, and consequently maintaining positive relationships with the people around them. to navigate their emotions, so that they can be successful in all aspects of their lives. Being able to regulate and work through difficult emotions gives students with Emotional Disturbance the tools to have positive social interactions.

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When preschoolers are melting down or teens are slamming doors, parents face two difficult tasks: keeping themselves composed and supporting their kids' ability to self-soothe while building skills to handle future challenges.

These abilities are at the heart of co-regulation, a parenting tool that requires patience and practice. But what exactly is involved, and how does it help support children and teens wrestling with big emotions?

What is co-regulation?

"Co-regulation is a supportive, interactive, and dynamic process," says Lauren Marchette, a child, adolescent, and family psychologist and a lecturer in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Through warm and responsive interactions, caregivers help young people learn better ways to regulate their emotions during the inevitable upsets and challenges of life. "At its heart, co-regulation is connecting with a child who's in distress and being able to evaluate what that child needs in the moment to help calm themselves."

But before a parent or trusted adult can help a child, they need to understand - and possibly expand - their own emotional skills and limitations. Emotions are often contagious, whether a person is upset or sharing a sense of calm.

"The tricky part of co-regulation is that adults have to recognize how they're feeling and be able to regulate their own emotions in difficult moments so they can help children to gain these same skills," Marchette says. "But this will be so important for kids to develop healthy relationships over time, and affects how people do in school, work, and life in general."

How does building emotional skills help children and teens?

As children grow up, they learn different skills - how to build a block tower, play a sport, or solve a math equation. They also learn emotional skills: how to recognize and handle feelings of anger or anxiety, for example.

Known as self-regulation, such emotional skills are truly the basis of wellness in life, Marchette says. By consistently practicing co-regulation, parents and other trusted adults foster self-regulation skills in kids.

The list of self-regulation skills is wide-ranging, involving

emotional awareness and literacy, including the ability to identify emotions

emotional regulation skills such as self-soothing

perspective-taking, or the ability to "walk in another's shoes"

social skills such as taking turns and practicing patience

paying attention and remaining focused when needed

problem-solving

thinking flexibly

time management skills

goal-setting.

What are the potential benefits of co-regulation?

Co-regulation enables kids to eventually learn to

handle stress

resist immediate gratification

avoid hasty, ill-informed decisions

make and stick to plans

solve problems

adapt to challenges

take healthy risks.

Some research suggests that having better self-regulation skills is linked to more positive outcomes in life, such as higher income and lower rates of substance use and violence.

Who might especially benefit from co-regulation?

Everyone wins when kids are better able to navigate frustrations and manage their reactions to their thoughts and feelings. Parents, teachers, coaches, guidance counselors, mentors, and other adults who interact closely with children also stand to benefit.

As for kids themselves, it's hard to think of any whose lives won't be improved by adults who have invested themselves in practicing co-regulation, Marchette says.

But practicing co-regulation skills with certain children and adolescents - including those whose families are experiencing economic hardship, substance abuse, divorce, or other distressing situations - can be especially important.

Is there evidence that co-regulation works?

"While co-regulation is built upon a solid theoretical framework, not many studies have delved into its effectiveness - at least across all age groups," Marchette says. " Research that does focuses mainly on infants and preschoolers."

"Much less is known about how co-regulation interventions work for older youth," she says. "The research is trying to catch up to what we know from years of clinical experience."

How can a parent coach a child through co-regulation?

Co-regulation doesn't stand alone as a skill. It relies on fostering a warm, responsive relationship with children, providing structure, and setting limits. "Children benefit from consistent, predictable routines with clear expectations and consequences," Marchette says.

When a child begins experiencing big emotions, a co-regulation response will look different depending on the child and circumstances. But the steps to take are similar.

"First, the parent needs to pause and self-regulate their own emotions, such as by taking a deep breath," Marchette explains. "The next steps are validating the child's feelings, observing the child's response, and then deciding how to respond next, including verbally and nonverbally, such as with a touch."

Marchette offers an example based on her own practice: 12-year-old "Eric" is tackling a writing assignment in his bedroom when his mother suddenly hears loud noises. She walks to his door and finds him throwing a stapler, notebook, and container of pens off his desk. "What's wrong with me?" he yells. "I suck at writing and I hate school!" Then Eric puts his head down on his desk.

The sixth grader's mom knows he needs help calming down, so she pauses and takes a deep breath. Then she walks over and whispers his name, placing her hand on his shoulder. After more silence, Eric gradually starts sitting up in his chair. "I can tell how frustrated you are with this assignment," she says to him, validating his feelings. "It must be a really challenging one."

Eric's mother knows he needs a break after he mutters, "I can't do it." She suggests a getting a glass of ice-cold water, and Eric glumly follows her to the kitchen. After the break, they can re-evaluate if Eric is ready to return to his homework or needs further coping strategies - like a walk outside or a round of jumping jacks - to get his frustration out.

What resources can help parents practice co-regulation?

The Administration for Children and Families offers a free Co-Regulation in Action video series. And some therapists - especially those who specialize in behavioral parent training or cognitive behavioral therapy - can help parents who feel their skills need a boost.

It's worth noting that it can be hard to have sufficient resources - emotional, financial, and other supports - to practice co-regulation consistently. Those who wish to try should give themselves some grace as they learn the process. "Even parents who are thinking their own self-regulation skills aren't where they want them to be should realize this is a muscle they can strengthen," Marchette says. "It's important to have that growth mindset."

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Co-regulation: Helping children and teens navigate big emotions - Harvard Health

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Co-regulation is a process in which caregivers can help young people learn better ways to regulate their emotions during the inevitable upsets and challenges of life. But before a caregiver can help a child, they need to understand their own emotional skills and limitations.

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This article goes into depth about helping teenagers regulate their emotions. Students with Emotional Disturbance might be prone to outbursts in the classroom that can be triggered for a plethora of reasons. This article provides helpful tips that can be integrated into the classroom to better support students with Emotional Disturbance.

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How to Help a Teen Regulate Their Emotions — Lilac Center

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Therapy provides an invaluable resource for helping teenagers navigate and regulate their emotions, especially when confronted with outbursts and extreme behaviors.

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Integrating Social Emotional Learning into the Classroom

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Integrating Social Emotional Learning into the Classroom

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This video, while not specifically about Emotional Disturbance, models how to interact with a student who is having an emotional outburst in the classroom. This video excels at demonstrating how to deescalate a student with the safety of the other students in mind, while also showing great compassion to the student who had the outburst.

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Teaching High School -- Social Emotional Learning -- Lesson 6

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For students with Emotional Disturbance, breaks are a typical instructional accommodation. Break cards, while not very common in high school, are useful when students need a break, but because their emotions are heightened, are unable to verbally communicate that. These cards are free, and are a good tool that students can use to better communicate their needs with their teachers.

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“I Need a Break” Cards by Nicole Leach | TPT

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Like other films and novels on this list, this movie does not directly talk about Emotional Disturbance, but depicts some of the hardships students with this eligibility might face in high school or later on in their adult lives. Teenagers with mental health issues are more likely to try drugs and get addicted to them. This movie, while detailing a particular family's struggle with drug addiction, shows the ups and downs of recovery and how drugs can exacerbate mental health issues.