Appropriate Interventions
The educational programs for students with a serious emotional disturbance need to include attention to:
Support the student’s inclusion. - Emotional disturbances, by their very nature, can make it difficult for people to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships. You can support the student with an emotional disturbance in subtle but meaningful ways, especially during group work, cooperative learning activities, peer interactions, and team projects. There may also be times to let the student work alone, take a break, or have a hall pass for some quiet time apart.
Set clear behavioral rules and expectations for the entire class. - Students with emotional disturbances are frequently the targets (rather than the initiators) of other students’ misbehaviors. Having a stated, explicit classroom management plan provides a solid structure by which both teacher and students can address inappropriate behavior, understand consequences, and develop a shared approach to behavior in class and toward one another. This IRIS training module may help you set up such a plan.
Recognize the student's accomplishments. - Some students benefit from working toward a tangible goal on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis. With a bonus points system, students earn points that can be saved up and cashed in for rewards at a later time. When designing a point system for students with emotional disturbance and behavioral problems, it is important to design the task and its time frame to fit the points. If the payoff is too far into the future, the student may give up on the task. Students may also be encouraged to record their progress on a chart or record sheet that enables them to see their progress toward the goal.
Encourage organization and routine. - Teach students to keep track of their assignments, grades, and targeted behaviors using reminders such as assignment sheets, daily schedules and to-do lists. Help students manage their time by establishing routines for making transitions between lessons, getting and putting away materials, and requesting assistance. Students can have cue cards on their desk or notebook to serve as visual cues for transition steps. Provide time-management reminders, such as 10-, 5-, or 2-minute warnings before clean-up time, to establish time limitations for completing work.
Accommodations typically associated
The student’s individualized education program (IEP) will spell out what accommodations the student is to receive in class and during testing. If you’re not part of the team that develops the student’s IEP, ask for a copy of this important document. Also check with your school district for guidance on local policy and appropriate classroom accommodations for students with emotional disorders.
Although accommodations will vary depending on the nature of the student’s emotional disturbance, often the appropriate accommodations will address:
Accommodation/Differentiation strategies
Links to Teacher forums, information, strategies
Other Resources
The educational programs for students with a serious emotional disturbance need to include attention to:
- mastering academics
- developing social skills
- increasing self-awareness, self-esteem, and self-control
- Career education (both academic and vocational programs) is also a major part of secondary education and should be a part of every adolescent's transition plan in his or her Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Support the student’s inclusion. - Emotional disturbances, by their very nature, can make it difficult for people to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships. You can support the student with an emotional disturbance in subtle but meaningful ways, especially during group work, cooperative learning activities, peer interactions, and team projects. There may also be times to let the student work alone, take a break, or have a hall pass for some quiet time apart.
Set clear behavioral rules and expectations for the entire class. - Students with emotional disturbances are frequently the targets (rather than the initiators) of other students’ misbehaviors. Having a stated, explicit classroom management plan provides a solid structure by which both teacher and students can address inappropriate behavior, understand consequences, and develop a shared approach to behavior in class and toward one another. This IRIS training module may help you set up such a plan.
Recognize the student's accomplishments. - Some students benefit from working toward a tangible goal on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis. With a bonus points system, students earn points that can be saved up and cashed in for rewards at a later time. When designing a point system for students with emotional disturbance and behavioral problems, it is important to design the task and its time frame to fit the points. If the payoff is too far into the future, the student may give up on the task. Students may also be encouraged to record their progress on a chart or record sheet that enables them to see their progress toward the goal.
Encourage organization and routine. - Teach students to keep track of their assignments, grades, and targeted behaviors using reminders such as assignment sheets, daily schedules and to-do lists. Help students manage their time by establishing routines for making transitions between lessons, getting and putting away materials, and requesting assistance. Students can have cue cards on their desk or notebook to serve as visual cues for transition steps. Provide time-management reminders, such as 10-, 5-, or 2-minute warnings before clean-up time, to establish time limitations for completing work.
Accommodations typically associated
The student’s individualized education program (IEP) will spell out what accommodations the student is to receive in class and during testing. If you’re not part of the team that develops the student’s IEP, ask for a copy of this important document. Also check with your school district for guidance on local policy and appropriate classroom accommodations for students with emotional disorders.
Although accommodations will vary depending on the nature of the student’s emotional disturbance, often the appropriate accommodations will address:
- side effects of medication
- behavioral unpredictability
- impairments in concentration and memory
Accommodation/Differentiation strategies
- Extend the amount of time that a student is given to complete a particular task.
- Break down assignments into smaller ones. As students finish each mini-assignment, build in reinforcement for task completion. Wait to distribute the next assignment until students have been successful with the current one.
- Reduce the number of practice items that a student must complete, once the student has demonstrated mastery.
- Follow low-interest activities with high interest activities so that students get breaks from difficult or less interesting activities from time to time.
- Plan short review lessons or readiness activities to help orient the student to a particular learning task.
Links to Teacher forums, information, strategies
- Educational strategies for children with emotional and behavioral problems - http://cecp.air.org/aft_nea.pdf
- Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support - http://www.pbis.org/
- Council for Exceptional Children - "Collaborating With Parents to Implement Behavioral Interventions for Children With Challenging Behaviors" - This article provides practitioners with a sequential process and guidelines for working collaboratively with parents to plan and implement behavioral interventions. (Available to members only.)
- National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities: Teaching students with emotional disturbances: 8 tips for teachers - http://nichcy.org/teaching-students-with-e-d
- 10 Ways to Support Students Who Are Emotionally Disturbed - http://www.education.com/slideshow/ways-help-students-emotional-disturbance/welcoming-classroom/
Other Resources
- Book: Teaching Students with Emotional Disturbance: A Practical Guide for Every Teacher by Bob Algozzine & James Ysseldyke
References
Educational strategies for children with emotional and behavioral problems. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://cecp.air.org/aft_nea.pdf
Emotional disturbance. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ldonline.org/article/6033/
Teaching students with emotional disturbances: 8 tips for teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://nichcy.org/teaching-students-with-e-d
Educational strategies for children with emotional and behavioral problems. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://cecp.air.org/aft_nea.pdf
Emotional disturbance. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ldonline.org/article/6033/
Teaching students with emotional disturbances: 8 tips for teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://nichcy.org/teaching-students-with-e-d