1. Emotional & Behavior Disorders
Rebecca White

2. Definition and Criteria
It is hard to tell the difference…
Ask how severe the problem is and how persistent.
Emotional or Behavioral Disorder- behavior that falls outside the norm.

3. Characteristics
Externalizing Behavior – aggression, conduct disorders, acting out, tantrums, hitting, lack of attention, impulsivity , and bizarre behavior.
Tend to bother children with internalizing behavior.
Internalizing Behavior – shyness, immaturity, tenseness, worry, withdraw, depression, fears/phobias, or anxiety.
Tend to be disturbing to themselves and their families, not to others.

4. Conduct Disorders
Include:
hitting
fighting
throwing
temper tantrums
teasing
acting defiant or disobedient
destroying property
bullying
being physically cruel to others or animals
stealing with a victim present
lying
conning
deceiving
serious rule violations
Their intelligence is within the normal range, however
the students will display low academic achievement.

5. Other Characteristics (you may see alone)
Hyperactivity – ADD & ADHD
Pervasive Development Disorder- far fetched ideas
Immaturity – failure to finish tasks, short attention span, frequent daydreaming
Depression – feelings of dejection
Anxiety – worry, fearfulness, concern

6. Causes
Emotional and Behavior Disorders do not reflect directly on parents…
Dysfunctional parenting contributes to behavior disorders in children.
These disorders are a direct result of environment and genetic factors, however one may play a greater role than the other.

7. Treatments - Medications
Stimulants – target central nervous system
Meds: Cylert, Ritalin, Dexatrin, Benzedrine.
Side effects: loss of appetite, insomnia, growth retardation, depression.
Antidepressants – treatment for depression, anxiety disorders, bedwetting, compulsive and obsessive behavior, stomach aches, anxiety attacks and muscle tics.
Meds: Elavil, Tofranil, Prozac
Side effects: nausea, dry mouth, seizures
Antipsychotics – severe behavioral disorders
Meds: Haldol, Thorazine, Mellaril, Navane, and Stelazine.
Side effects: listlessness, passiveness, impaired cognitive performance, increase in appetite, enuresis, and motor difficulties.
Lithium may be used to treat severe mood disorders such as bi-polar.
A child cannot be required to get a prescription for medications as a condition of school attendance or receiving services.

8. Assessment of Students with Emotional and Behavior Disorders
How do you decide whether a student is problematic enough to warrant referral to special education or other specialized services?
Behavior-age discrepancy
Frequency of occurrence of the behavior
Number of Symptoms
Inner Suffering
Harm to others
Persistence of the behavior
Self-satisfaction
Severity and duration of the behavior

9. Identifying by asking the following questions:
How often? How long?
Under what conditions? Where does this behavior occur?
What happens before the disturbance, triggers? Consequences?
Does the student maintain any positive relationships? Is the student ever happy?
Deviance compared to other students?
Is the problem related to the teacher or another student?
What have the people around the student done to eliminate a certain behavior?

10. Teaching Accommodations for Students with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders
Maintaining an Organized Physical Environment
Establishing Positive Relationships – make sure your students can trust you. Empathy requires genuine concern and understanding the student no matter what.
Changing Behavior
Resolving Conflicts and Promoting Self-Control
Using Life-Space Intervention
Adapting Instruction

11. Resources – Useful Websites