Chapter 6

SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, &

BEHAVIORAL CHALLENGES
Social Challenges

 1/3rd of students w/ learning

disabilities have social challenges.
 Social challenges are characteristic of
autism, Asperger’s.
 Lack sensitivity, poor perception of
social situations, suffer rejection, &
poor social traits.
 Can do well academically.
*Our job: help students learn how to respond appropriately
in social situations.
Emotional
EmotionalChallenges
Challenges

Relationship between Characteristics of

Learning Disabilities &
Emotional Challenges
 Difficult to focus
academically
 Internalizing:
 Refuse to learn, resist pressure,
cling to dependency, quickly
discouraged, fear of success,
sadness, withdrawal.
 Externalizing:
 Hostility, acting-out, excessive
anger, fighting, defiance toward
teachers.
Emotional Challenges
 Depression
 Reaction to stress & frustration of
school demands.
 Loss of energy, Loss of interest in
friends, Difficulty in concentration,
Feelings of hopelessness
 Lack of Resiliency
 Need a support system
which increases
nonacademic talents
 Anxiety
 Events beyond their
control are happening to
them.
 Feel hopeless and become
frozen & panicked because
of feelings of intense
Functional
Functional
Behavioral
Behavioral
Assessment
Assessment
& Positive
& Positive
Behavioral
Behavioral
Supports
Supports

FBA: determining what PBS:strategies to changes a

triggered the child's behavior. student’s behavior & increase
positive change.
ABC: antecedent, Steps for developing
behavior, positive behavioral
consequence. interventions:
Important Outcomes: 2. A desirable
3. Clear description of problem replacement behavior.
behavior.
4. Identification of when a problem
3. Modify the
behavior will/will not occur. environment.
5. Identification of the consequences
that result in the maintenance.
4. Teach the appropriate
6. Development/hypothesis of behaviors.
problematic behavior.
7. Collection of data.
Improving
ImprovingSocial
SocialCompetencies
Competencies
Self Perception: Scrapbook
Nonverbal Communication:
gestures, stance, facial
expression.
Social Maturity: role
playing, encourage
independence, problem
solving strategies, ethical
judgments.
Cognitive Learning for
Social Skills
Many students respond impulsively; act
without thinking.
• “What am I suppose to be doing?”
• “What are three possible solutions?”

Cognitive learning strategies can teach

students:
6. Stop & think before responding.
7. To verbalize & rehearse social responses.
8. To visualize & imagine the effect of their
behavior.
Behavioral Challenges

 Develop an effective behavioral

intervention plan.
 Positive learning environment.
 Errorless learning techniques:
 Fading: giving student maximum cues to
begin, then fades those cues away until
the student is independent at that task.
 Backward chaining: a reverse order of
things.
Making Academic Work Friendly

 Build choice in assignments.

 Where they sit to work.
 What they can write with.
 Use response cards.
 White board.
 Index cards.
 Travel assignments.
 Break a task into small steps.
Self Management Goal Setting
Strategies
 Students manage their  Model the strategy.
behavior.  Teacher assist in
 Clearly state writing the goal.
expectations.  Write own goals &
 Contracts for self monitor progress.
monitoring.
 Random checks.
 Praise!
Passive Aggressive Behaviors
•Combined passive &
aggressive behavior
 Recognize the passive
that is both
conforming &
aggressive behavior.
irritating to others.
 Avoid engaging in
•Behavior that is
more destructive to “begging” behavior.
inter personal
relationships than  Acknowledge normal
aggression.
•Acts of passive feelings of anger.
aggression that can
last a lifetime.
•Anger that is
expressed indirectly.
Behavior Management Strategies

 Contingency Contracting
 Written agreement between student &
teacher.
 Time-Out
 1-5 minutes, ignore the student, directly
engage the student in ongoing activities.
 Attribution Training
 Train students to attribute their successes
to their own efforts.
Behavior Management Strategies
continued…
 Cognitive Behavior Modification
 Talking aloud to themselves.
 Giving themselves instruction on what
they should be doing.
 Rewarding themselves verbally.
 Using Reinforcements
 Stars, stickers, tickets, tokens, prize box.
Case study: Mario, a student with
behavioral challenges
 5th grade
 Urinates on himself & others
 Becomes upset when people get close
& when he gets dirty.
 Has Asperger’s & ADHD.
 1 of 2 kids @ home.
 Doesn’t know father.
 Obsessed that if he gets dirty his
arms will fall off.
 Special interest in Superman.