Emotional and Behavioral Disorder

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

An emotional and behavioral disorder is an emotional disability. A condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects educational performance.

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and/or teachers.
An inability to learn, which cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors.

Inappropriate type of behavior or feelings under normal conditions.

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Displayed pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression. Displayed tendency to develop physical symptoms, pains or unreasonable fears associated with personal or school problems.

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Divided into three groups that are characterized by:

1. Externalizing behaviors 2. Internalizing behaviors 3. Low incidence disorders

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

1. Externalizing behaviors
- constitute an acting-out style that could be described as:
Aggressive behaviors expressed Outwardly, usually toward other person. Ex. Hyperactivity

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Externalizing behaviors

Violates basic rights of others Violates societal norms or rules Has tantrums Steals; causes property loss or damage - Is hostile or defiant; argues

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Externalizing behaviors

- Ignores teachers reprimands - Demonstrates obsessive/compulsive behaviors - Causes or threatens physical harm to people or animals - Uses obscene gestures

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2. Internalizing Behaviors
- are typically expressed by being socially withdrawn
Ex. Anorexia or Bulimia serious eating disorders. It occurs because of

individuals' (typically girls') preoccupation with weight and body image, their drive for thinness, and their fear of becoming fat.

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Internalizing Behaviors Depression guilt, self-blame, feelings of rejection, low self-esteem, and negative self-image Anxiety may be demonstrated as intense anxiety upon from separation from family, friends, or a familiar environment, excessive worry and fear.

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Internalizing Behaviors

Exhibits painful shyness Is teased by peers Is neglected by peers Is socially withdrawn Tends to be suicidal Has unfounded fears and phobias Panics

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3. Low incidence disorders

-some disorders occur very infrequently but are quite serious when they do occur.

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Low incidence disorders

Schizophrenia-sometimes considered a form of psychosis or a type of pervasive developmental disability (APA, 2000)
-is an extremely rare disorder in children, although approximately 1 percent of the general population over the age of 18 has been diagnosed as having schizophrenia.

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Low incidence disorders

Schizophrenia
-when it occurs, it places great demands on service systems. -it usually involves bizarre delusions (such as believing one's thoughts are controlled by the police),

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Schizophrenia -hallucinations (such as voices telling one what to think), -"loosening" of associations (disconnected thoughts), and -incoherence.

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Schizophrenia

-is most prevalent between the ages of 15 and 45, and experts agree that the earlier the onset, the more severe the disturbance in adulthood (Newcomer, 1993). -Children with schizophrenia have serious difficulties with schoolwork and often must live in special hospital and educational settings during part of their childhood.

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Causes: Children who experience physical abuse have a higher probability of being identified with emotional or behavioral disorders (Cauce et al., 2000)

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Causes: The reasons why such problems arise in a particular child are usually difficult to identify precisely, and the disability is likely to be the result of multiple and overlapping factors

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

3 general areas can contribute to emotional or behavioral disorders: 1. Biology 2. Home 3. Community

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Causes: BIOLOGY -research now tells us that a definite relationship exists between prenatal drug exposure and childhood emotional or behavioral disorders.

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Causes: BIOLOGY -53 percent of drug-exposed participants in Headstart preschool programs are identified as having these disabilities as early as kindergarten

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Causes: BIOLOGY -mood disorders, depression, and schizophrenia may have a genetic foundation.

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Causes: HOME and COMMUNITY negative experience lead to or aggravate emotional problems combinations of poverty, abuse, neglect, parental stress, inconsistent expectations and rules, confusion, and turmoil over long periods of time can do so

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Causes: HOME and COMMUNITY
-lack of supervision, erratic and punitive discipline, low rate of positive interactions, high rate of negative interactions, lack of interest and concern, and poor adult role models.

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Causes: HOME, SCHOOL and COMMUNITY Ex. -children whose parents are violent and have arrest records also tend to become violent and to find themselves in trouble with the law

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Causes: HOME, SCHOOL and COMMUNITY -teachers and schools can have a tremendous influence on students.

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Causes: HOME, SCHOOL and COMMUNITY Ex. -a teacher who is unskilled in managing the classroom or insensitive to students' individual differences may create an environment wherein aggression, frustration, and withdrawal are common responses to the environment or the teacher.

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Educational Approaches

Behavior Management. Include a point

system for appropriate behavior and task completion, wherein good behavior is charted and students earn rewards. Systematic Intervention Plans. Use a hierarchy of tactics, depending on students' behavior.

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Educational Approaches

Home-School Communication. Include

notes to the home and home-based reward systems. Peer Involvement. Have classmates remind each other of classroom expectations. Classroom Structure. Employ guided practice and well-organized transitions from activity to activity

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Educational Approaches

Supervised Free Periods. Have adults

monitor unstructured parts of the school day (recess, hall changes, lunch). Consistent Standards. Be sure all school staff members use the same standards for acceptable behavior and hold high expectations for academic performance.

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Intervention Procedures Reward desirable behavior.

Punish, through nonviolent means, undesirable behavior. Provide direct instruction for both social and academic skills.

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Intervention Procedures Correct the environmental conditions that foster deviant behavior.

Give students clear expectations.

Standardize responses to children across the entire school setting. Monitor students' behavior closely.