Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in the Classroom

Students these days are suffering from behavioral and emotional disorders that have become difficult to control and improve their focus and behavior of work within the classroom. A research has been conducted which shows that these students commonly face lack of control on their impulse and emotional balance that has become necessity to handle the social interactions with the students effectively.

In inclusive classrooms, it has become challenging for them to control as only a part of students are suffering from emotional and behavioral disorders. There are certain ways which can help the students of classroom to become ready to learn. The behavior of the students can be moderated with the implementation of classroom management operations that can fulfill the needs of the students.

The behavior and emotional disorder is an umbrella term that has distinct diagnoses like Manic depressive order, Anxiety order, Oppositional defiant disorder and so on. These types of disorders are known as emotionally challenged or emotionally disturbance. Students that are suffering from EBD can exhibit five characteristics based on the Individuals and Disability Education Act (IDEA). These characteristics are mentioned under:

1. An ability to learn without considering sensory, intellectual and health factors.

2. An ability to maintain and build interpersonal relationships with teachers and students that are highly satisfactory.

3. Different and inappropriate feelings and behavior under casual or normal circumstances.

4. A depressive and unhappy general and pervasive mood.

5. A propensity in the development of physical fears and symptoms are related with school and various different personal problems.

This idea has been generated so that students can access appropriate and free public education that contains possible Least Restrictive Environment. Students are diagnosed with various emotional disorders that often include general educational classrooms. However, some of the severe cases require students to get the education based on the collection of units, self-contained programs and separate schools.

There are two main categories under the umbrella term of behavioral and emotional disorders that are behavioral disabilities and psychiatric disorders.

1. Psychiatric Disorders – This type of disorder explains about broad range of conditions. The condition of psychiatric disorders can be defined as behavioral, mental and perceptual patterns which help in impairing routine functioning by causing distress. There are some of the most common examples of this diagnosis which includes: Bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety disorder, eating disorder and Psychotic Disorder.

From the perspective of a teacher, these types of disorders help in presenting a profound challenge for various different reasons. Teachers should not be expected to treat such kind of disorders as they are not the doctors. Students that are struggling with such type of challenges are undergoing with some kind of treatment by receiving the medication. This medication can affect people in different and unexpected ways.

In various different and unexpected ways, medication could create some or the other kind of effect, as this type of information is considered as confidential and aware the teachers that why they are acting in such manner. To certain behaviors, it will become very difficult to responds to such type of situations. Additionally, students that are suffering from these conditions could not be able to meet behavioral and academic expectations. In such cases, students need to receive special education interventions of some sort, and may need to be moved into a special education classroom.

2. Behavioral Disabilities

Children who have behavioral disabilities are engaged in a conduct which can be proved disruptive to the functioning of the classroom and are harmful for themselves and others. The diagnosis and the cure of the behavioral disability do not allow the behavior to act attributable to post mentioned psychiatric disorders. There are two different categories of behavioral disabilities that include conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder.

a. Conduct disorder – They are known as very much complex. It is characterized by violence, aggression and harm on self and others. Students that are suffering from conduct disorder require teaching in special educational classrooms until the improvement in their behavior happened and that allows the contact with the general educational population.

b. Oppositional defiant disorder – It is characterized by extreme negativity, non-compliance and unwillingness to follow directions and cooperate. Children that are suffering from such conditions are aggressive and non-violent. In most of the cases, they refuse to make the cooperation with peers and adults.

In other conditions, students that are suffering from behavioral and emotional disorders requires positivity and structured environment which helps in providing support to the growth, provide reward to the desirable behavior and fosters self-esteem. There are different strategies for teaching students with behavioral and emotional disorders which include:

3. Rules and Routines – At the initial school days, it is important to establish rules and regulations. It must be written in a simple and understandable way. The words mentioned in the rules should highly reflect positivity. Also, there should be established consequences for breaking rules by applying it consistently and firmly whenever the rules get broke down. Their consequences should be predictable and consistent. The administration of consequences helps in providing feedback to make the students calm and clear. In this way, students could understand about the importance and necessity of these consequences.

When the rules are broken, try to avoid becoming and acting emotionally reactive. This reaction provides the negative attention to the students, which is rewarding for most of the students. You need to remain calm and detached. It is considered as the difficult balance to achieve but for obtaining positive results, it is crucially important.

For classroom management, routines play a significant role. Students that have behavioral and emotional disorders are expected to struggle with unexpected change and transitions. Performing the visual schedule of the day-to-day activities are considered as the most effective way for starting a day and helping students to feel grounded.

4. Techniques that Support Positive Behavior – Students that are suffering with behavioral and emotional disorders are required to receive the instructions in the setting of special education as their behavior are very much maladaptive for the classroom of general education. There are certain ideas that support and guide growth for generating adaptive and positive behavior.

a. Token economy - In every situation or culture of positive behavior, students are earning points and tokens. These tokens are useful for purchasing rewards at the token store. For making the effective token economy, it is important for the positive behavior to provide consistent rewards and item in the token store must be motivating for the students. It mainly requires the organizational preparation by making it more effective.

b. Classroom Behavior Chart - A chart which plots the behavioral level visually of each and every student in the classroom. The positive behaviors of the students in the classroom are showing the progress in the upward direction of the chart and the students that are showing negative behavior are moving in the downward direction in terms of the progress. With this, students can become accountable which will further help them monitor and reward their progress. This strategy will not work if the students are staying on the bottom of the chart. Focus on the positive side at the fullest degree which will help them to keep motivated.

c. Lottery System – This is exactly similar to the token economy where the students will behave in positive ways by given a ticket in their name. These tickets will be placed in jar later and after one or two weeks you can draw one or two out of it. At the end, the lottery winner will be rewarded with a special prize.

d. Positive Peer Review – Students are asked to watch their peers and identify their positive behavior. Students that have positive behavior and are identifying must get rewards. It will help in developing a sense of social support and teamwork in the classroom.

Conclusion

It is extremely challenging to teach children with behavioral and emotional disorders. Rewarding and fostering positive behavior are proven more effective than attempting the elimination of negative behavior. Negative consequences and punishments result in power struggle which can make the problem behavior more badly. It is very difficult to remain positive in all situations especially in the emotionally trying behaviors. There will be a world of difference if these students will struggle an incredible difficult situation.