The Federal government defines an emotional or behavior disorder in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004 (IDEA ’04) as:
Emotional or Behavioral Disorder: The term means a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child’s educational performance: (A) an inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors; (B) an inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers; (C) inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances; (D) a general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression; or (E) a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.
The term includes schizophrenia. The term does not apply to children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance.
This disorder can be broken down into three categories: Externalizing Behavior, Internalizing Behavior, and Low Incidence Behaviors.
Individuals with Externalizing Behaviors may display tantrums, hostility, aggression, hyperactivity, violence, noncompliance and coercive behaviors. These behaviors can manifest into problems with authority figures, peer rejection, trouble with the law, and academic failure. An example of an externalizing behavior can be conduct disorder, which can be used to describe “acting-out” behaviors.
Individuals with Internalizing Behaviors may display anxiety, withdrawal, depression, suicidal tendencies, distractibility, and overt shyness. These behaviors can lead to or be a sign of loneliness, bulimia, anorexia, and low self esteem. Two examples of Internalizing Behaviors are general anxiety, which is characterized by excessive, uncontrollable and often irrational worry about everyday things, and school phobia which refers to the child’s irrational fear about school attendance.
Low Incidence Behaviors are just what the title says. Low Incidence disorders occur infrequently, but are serious when they do transpire. An example of a Low Incidence Behavior is schizophrenia.
Emotional or behavioral disorders are difficult to define. Students with this disorder are the most difficult to teach and have the most negative outcomes. They are more likely than other students to struggle to find jobs and remain employed, have problems with criminality, and abuse drugs and alcohol. For this reason, it is important to intervene as early as possible. Students with Internalizing Behaviors often go undiagnosed longer than their peers with Externalizing Behaviors because their symptoms aren’t as evident.
A teacher who suspects their student to be an individual with an emotional or behavioral disorder should start by meeting with the family to discuss the options. The cultural sensitivities a family might have should be taken into account and be respected.
In the classroom the teacher can take steps to create clear and defined behavioral boundaries, and promote positive behavioral support. For example, a student with conduct disorder might benefit from social skills instruction to alleviate classroom disruption.
Teachers who work with students with general anxiety, or school phobia, might consider partnering with the school psychologist in order to establish a relationship grounded in trust, safety and predictability. In addition to the IEP, the teacher should take extra steps to document any progress or regression she sees.
The most important resources a general education teacher has are the experience of the special education teacher and the expertise of the school psychologist. Additional resources can be found through professional associations and the web.
•Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (www.ccbd.net) •Federal Resource Center for Special Education (www.rrfcnetwork.org) •www.BehaviorAdvisor.com •State of NJ Department of Education – Office of Special Education (http://www.nj.gov/education/specialed/)
General Anxiety and School Phobia are two types of Anxiety disorders. The subjective experience of anxiety typically has two components: physical sensations (e.g., headache, nausea, sweating) and the emotions of nervousness and fear. Anxiety disorders, when severe, can affect a child's thinking, decision-making ability, perceptions of the environment, learning and concentration. It raises blood pressure and heart rate, and can cause a multitude of bodily complaints, such as nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, ulcers, diarrhea, tingling, weakness, and shortness of breath, among other things.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is defined as excessive worry, apprehension, and anxiety occurring most days for a period of 6 months or more that involves concern over a number of activities or events. The person has difficulty controlling the anxiety, which is associated with the following: restlessness, feeling “keyed up” or on edge; being easily fatigued; difficulty concentrating or having the mind go blank; irritability; muscle tension; difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, or restless sleep. The anxiety causes significant distress and problems functioning.
School Phobia is itself a symptom of anxiety disorder in childhood. It is also known as separation anxiety, which is an inappropriate fear of leaving their parents, a person or place of trust or home for example.
School phobia can present itself in a number of ways: •Constant thoughts and fears about safety of self and parents •Refusing to go to school •Frequent stomach aches and other physical complaints •Extreme worries about sleeping away from home •Overly clingy •Panic or tantrums at times of separation from parents •Feeling unsafe staying in a room by themselves •Clinging behavior •Displaying excessive worry and fear about parents or about harm to themselves •Shadowing the mother or father around the house •Difficulty going to sleep •Having nightmares •Exaggerated, unrealistic fears of animals, monster, burglars •Fear of being alone in the dark •Severe tantrums when forced to go to school
Treatment for Generalized Anxiety can vary from psychological, psycho pharmaceutical to environmental.
This blog is designed as a resource tool for teacher candidates learning about special education and students with special needs. Small groups within the class will create their own blogs about specific students with special needs, such as children with ADHD, and then link that blog to this central site.Each blog will contain information about the federal and state definition of the disability group, the general physical, social, cognitive, and emotional developments, as well as useful resources for teachers.
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The Federal government defines an emotional or behavior disorder in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004 (IDEA ’04) as:
Emotional or Behavioral Disorder: The term means a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child’s educational performance:
(A) an inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors;
(B) an inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers;
(C) inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances;
(D) a general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression; or
(E) a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.
The term includes schizophrenia. The term does not apply to children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance.
This disorder can be broken down into three categories: Externalizing Behavior, Internalizing Behavior, and Low Incidence Behaviors.
Individuals with Externalizing Behaviors may display tantrums, hostility, aggression, hyperactivity, violence, noncompliance and coercive behaviors. These behaviors can manifest into problems with authority figures, peer rejection, trouble with the law, and academic failure. An example of an externalizing behavior can be conduct disorder, which can be used to describe “acting-out” behaviors.
Individuals with Internalizing Behaviors may display anxiety, withdrawal, depression, suicidal tendencies, distractibility, and overt shyness. These behaviors can lead to or be a sign of loneliness, bulimia, anorexia, and low self esteem. Two examples of Internalizing Behaviors are general anxiety, which is characterized by excessive, uncontrollable and often irrational worry about everyday things, and school phobia which refers to the child’s irrational fear about school attendance.
Low Incidence Behaviors are just what the title says. Low Incidence disorders occur infrequently, but are serious when they do transpire. An example of a Low Incidence Behavior is schizophrenia.
Emotional or behavioral disorders are difficult to define. Students with this disorder are the most difficult to teach and have the most negative outcomes. They are more likely than other students to struggle to find jobs and remain employed, have problems with criminality, and abuse drugs and alcohol. For this reason, it is important to intervene as early as possible. Students with Internalizing Behaviors often go undiagnosed longer than their peers with Externalizing Behaviors because their symptoms aren’t as evident.
A teacher who suspects their student to be an individual with an emotional or behavioral disorder should start by meeting with the family to discuss the options. The cultural sensitivities a family might have should be taken into account and be respected.
In the classroom the teacher can take steps to create clear and defined behavioral boundaries, and promote positive behavioral support. For example, a student with conduct disorder might benefit from social skills instruction to alleviate classroom disruption.
Teachers who work with students with general anxiety, or school phobia, might consider partnering with the school psychologist in order to establish a relationship grounded in trust, safety and predictability. In addition to the IEP, the teacher should take extra steps to document any progress or regression she sees.
The most important resources a general education teacher has are the experience of the special education teacher and the expertise of the school psychologist. Additional resources can be found through professional associations and the web.
•Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (www.ccbd.net)
•Federal Resource Center for Special Education (www.rrfcnetwork.org)
•www.BehaviorAdvisor.com
•State of NJ Department of Education – Office of Special Education (http://www.nj.gov/education/specialed/)
General Anxiety and School Phobia are two types of Anxiety disorders. The subjective experience of anxiety typically has two components: physical sensations (e.g., headache, nausea, sweating) and the emotions of nervousness and fear. Anxiety disorders, when severe, can affect a child's thinking, decision-making ability, perceptions of the environment, learning and concentration. It raises blood pressure and heart rate, and can cause a multitude of bodily complaints, such as nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, ulcers, diarrhea, tingling, weakness, and shortness of breath, among other things.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is defined as excessive worry, apprehension, and anxiety occurring most days for a period of 6 months or more that involves concern over a number of activities or events. The person has difficulty controlling the anxiety, which is associated with the following: restlessness, feeling “keyed up” or on edge; being easily fatigued; difficulty concentrating or having the mind go blank; irritability; muscle tension; difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, or restless sleep. The anxiety causes significant distress and problems functioning.
School Phobia is itself a symptom of anxiety disorder in childhood. It is also known as separation anxiety, which is an inappropriate fear of leaving their parents, a person or place of trust or home for example.
School phobia can present itself in a number of ways:
•Constant thoughts and fears about safety of self and parents
•Refusing to go to school
•Frequent stomach aches and other physical complaints
•Extreme worries about sleeping away from home
•Overly clingy
•Panic or tantrums at times of separation from parents
•Feeling unsafe staying in a room by themselves
•Clinging behavior
•Displaying excessive worry and fear about parents or about harm to themselves
•Shadowing the mother or father around the house
•Difficulty going to sleep
•Having nightmares
•Exaggerated, unrealistic fears of animals, monster, burglars
•Fear of being alone in the dark
•Severe tantrums when forced to go to school
Treatment for Generalized Anxiety can vary from psychological, psycho pharmaceutical to environmental.
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