Hi, I’m Hannah Schauben. My group’s general topic of exploration is: Intervention for children with behavior or psychological disorders and learning disabilities. The specific inquiries that my group and I decided to explore are: What are important aspects to consider when creating effective intervention programs for children with emotional/psychological disorders and learning disabilities?

 

According to a Best Practices Guide for teaching students with severe emotional and behavior disorders, “students in today’s classroom are demonstrating challenging behaviors that are more frequent and intensive than in previous years.” Based on criteria from the DSM-IV, 15 to 20% of the entire student population is said to have a clinically significant emotional and/or behavioral disorder at any one time. Due to the increasing number of children struggling with these disabilities and disorders, intervention is especially crucial now. From the research we conducted, we compiled a list of the fundamental aspects of a successful intervention program.

 

First, identifying specific problematic behaviors that a child is demonstrating is necessary. After behavior identification, creating an individualized plan is the next step. Children with emotional behavior disorders require a structured and predictable environment. This type of environment involves clear and consistent expectations and changes in routine kept to a minimum. Throughout the process, educators should acknowledge and reward positive behaviors the child is displaying. Being aware of a child’s attention span and making time for breaks is essential to their ability to absorb information. Children should be treated fairly and motivational strategies should be implemented. 

 

My partner will discuss her findings about long-term effects of children not receiving proper intervention.