Emotional Disturbances, Behavioral Disorders and Physical Challenges.

According to the Council for Exceptional children Behavior Disorders/Emotional

Disturbances In recent years’ behavioral disorders have gained more attention than

emotional disturbances. The term Behavioral has less of a negative connotation than

Emotional disturbance does. There are distinct differences between the two however.

IDEA (The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) defines emotional disturbance as

a condition that exhibits one or more of the following characteristics; Emotional

disturbances adversely affects educational performance: inability to learn, difficulty with

interpersonal relationships with peers or teachers. Inappropriate behaviors under normal

circumstances, unhappiness and feelings of depression. These individuals develop

physical symptoms or fears of school and personal relationships.

The Individual that exhibits Behavioral disorders are similar but some of the

characteristics are: external in nature (acting out, aggressive and disruptive) The Internal

behaviors are (withdrawn, anxious and depressed). Individuals with behavioral disorders

also demonstrate personality disorders (withdrawal, anxiety, physical complaints and

immaturity. These individuals are also frequently involved with socialized Delinquency

(involvement in gangs). Emotional disturbances and behavioral disorders have many of

the same characteristics but the terminology behavioral is not viewed as negatively as the

terminology emotional. It is difficult to define a physical disability because there are

many different types. Cerebral Palsy, Muscular dystrophy, Spina bifida, Rhetts syndrome

(only seen in girls) to name a few. Cerebral Palsy is seen very frequently in school

settings and is sometimes classified as a multiple disability because there may or may not

be mental challenges. Cerebral Palsy can be complex because there are different types.

Spastic cerebral palsy is an individual that has a high muscle tone they are stiff. Flaccid

cerebral palsy is a low muscle toned individual they appear to be floppy. Athetoids have

difficulty sitting upright because of mixed muscle tone. Mixed cerebral palsy is when

muscle tone is low in some limbs and too high in other limbs.

Cerebral Palsy individuals can also be Quadriplegic which means all four limbs are

impaired the arms and legs. Hemiplgia one side of the body is impaired the right arm or

leg for example. Finally Diplegia Cerebral Palsy the disability is much more severe in the

legs.

The Chart

Teaching strategies For Emotional

Disturbances and Behavioral Disorders.

Teaching Strategies for Students with

Physical Challenges.

The key to teaching these students is

collaboration between the counselor,

Special Education Teacher, Speech

Therapist if there is one, and the parents.

The classroom teacher is the most

important provider besides the parent

because the student spends 75% of their

time in this setting and this is the place

where the most peer interaction takes place.

The Speech Therapist can collaborate on

pragmatic and social interaction skills in

the speech room, but the ideal situation

would be for the Speech Therapist to

provide services in the classroom. The

counselor can’t work in the classroom

because of confidentiality issues, but the

counselor can collaborate through team

meetings with the providers. The parent is

the primary provider because without their

input the IEP can’t be implemented.

Activities of daily living are very important

for these individuals ie; hand washing, face

washing, putting on and taking off coat etc.

The Special Education Teacher,

Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist

and Speech Therapist should all collaborate

to help this student with ADL skills. The

Speech Therapist should be available to

help with ADL vocabulary expansion skills

the Occupational Therapist should help the

student implement these skills and the

classroom teacher should teach these skills.

The physical Therapist should be available

to help with the best position for this

student while these skills are being taught.

All team members should work in the

classroom if possible.

Pragmatics and social skills should be

worked on by the counselor and Speech

Therapist mainly but collaboration should

occur with all of the team members. These

students need to learn how to interact with

Assistive Technology is essential for these

individuals the use of a computer by using

a switch to use the computer if accessing

with the hand is possible that is great, but

may of these students access with another

peers and staff appropriately. body part of the body like the head. If

accessing is an issue then the occupational

and physical therapist need to be available.

Some students may need Augmentative

Alternative communication.

Communication boards and electronic

voice output devices are available for these

students to communicate. These students

can take part in all academic areas with the

help of Assitive Technology.

Academic support needs to be available at

all times because if these individuals have

academic problems some of their negative

behaviors will be displayed because of

frustration about academic failure.

What is a voice output device? A device

that talks for the student with either a

recorded human voice or synthesized voice.

Pictures or symbols are used for any

academic or communicative theme.

Electronic devices go under the category of

Augmentative communication.

Assistive Technology can help The use of a

word processor can improve spelling, a

word processor that reads while the student

is typing can help this student so much.

Academic success is what these students

need most to decrease negative behaviors.

Alternative communication are items such

as communication boards that don’t use

voice they can be made out of oak tag and

Mayer Johnson symbols or google photos

can be placed on the board for the student

to communicate. Communication symbols

can be placed in a students classroom to

help with hand washing, clothing,

identification and scheduling of their day.

Alternative communication symbols should

be encouraged by all providers because

visual stimulation along with the spoken

word increases the student’s abilities.

The community is a very important step Lastly there are different types of

toward the growth of students with

Emotional Disturbances and Behavioral

Disorders. Trips to the Post office,

Supermarket, and other community

settings. Allow these students to order food

at restaurants because the more that they

are encouraged to communicate the more

appropriate their interpersonal relationships

will improve with the outside world. They

must not be isolated but instead should be

encouraged to move freely around the

community with the support of the school

staff.

communication electronic devices on the

market. This is based on the student’s

abilities cognitively. Low Tech Devices are

1, 2 or 4 message devices. High Tech

Devices are 8-32 or more symbols with

voice that the student can use academically

and communicatively.