Transcript Strategies for Working with Emotionally Unpredictable Students

Emotional Behavioral Disabilities
Tia Tracey MSW
Managing a Crisis
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Listen, agree, and apologize when necessary
 Collaborate: Ask “what do you want? Lets
find the right way to get that.” ** When logic
is gone….. Distract!
 Distractors: Novel Items, Sensory Activities,
Special Interests, something unique (surprise)
 Ignore if you are a trigger
 Avoid escalating punishment
 Plan: Make a plan for next time… Can’t go
back with some students
Positive Behavior Support
Important Principles
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All students, not just specific groups, need
behavioral support at some level.
Academics and behavior are related
All student behavior has a goal (to obtain, or
avoid something/someone)
Students only repeat behaviors that work for
them in some way.
Students need clear behavioral expectations
with specific, meaningful rewards and
reasonable, related consequences.
Principals of PBS…..
Behavioral problems are indicative of “errors
in learning,” & need to be dealt with by using
direct, systematic instruction similar to how
we address academic deficits.
 Uses team based, data driven problem
solving approaches.
 Reflects a proactive Vs. reactive approach
 Recognizes the importance of determining
whether inappropriate behavior(s) are a skill
deficiency problem (they can’t do it, never
learned how), or a performance/motivation
problem (they have the skill, but won’t do it)
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Who are the students we are discussing
today??
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According to (IDEIA), federal special ed. law
defines emotional disturbance as:
 “A condition exhibiting one or more of the
following characteristics over a long period of time
and to a marked degree, which adversely affects
educational performance:
- An inability to learn which cannot be
explained by intellectual, sensory, or health
factors
- An inability to build/maintain satisfactory
interpersonal relationships with peers and
teachers.
EBD Students …….
- Inappropriate types of behaviors, or
feelings under normal circumstances
- A general pervasive mood of
unhappiness, or depression.
- A tendency to develop physical
symptoms or fears associated with
personal or school problems
RISK FACTORS
Biological
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Genes predisposed
to mental illness
 Physiological
problems caused
by injury, illness,
toxins
 Parental mental
health disorders
Environmental
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Family risk factors
 School risk factors- i.e.
poor academic instruction
 Peer group risk factors –
i.e. antisocial peers
 Community based –
i.e. economic hardship,
exposure to violence or
drugs
The Most Frequently Occurring Emotional & Behavioral
Disorders of Children & Youth & Common Characteristics of
These Disorders
Oppositional Defiant Disorder –
5%-15% &
Conduct Disorder
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Frequent temper tantrums
Excessive Arguing
Active/passive defiance
Refusal to comply
Verbally Abusive
Angry,resentful
Need for power and control
Bullying and intimidation
Frequently Occurring EBD’s
Bipolar Disorder – 1%
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Constant Irritable mood
Crying for no apparent reason
Rapidly Changing moods
Hyperactivity,agitation
Explosive rages
Impulsivity or Distractibility
Impaired Judgement
Sleeping too much/too little
Frequently Occurring EBD’s
Anxiety Disorders – 10 – 13%
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Constant worrying
Fear of making errors
Panic Attacks
Fear of new situations
Overly tense & uptight
Needs constant reassurance
Many physical complaints
Believes something bad will
happen & they have no control
Important Facts to keep in mind
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Mental health disorders are typically caused
by a combination of biological, psychosocial,
& environmental factors
 Often specific disorders are difficult to
diagnose due to the fact that symptoms of
different disorders present with common,
overlapping symptoms
 Co-occurrence of mental health disorders is
common.
 Early diagnosis and intervention is critical
Important Facts …….
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Psychotropic medications can reduce, but not
eliminate symptoms of many disorders.
Medication alone is not a “cure”, but can help
lessen the manifestations of the disorder, while
making the child more teachable.
 Often children with mental health disorders
have two choices when they are frustrated –
fight or flight – When they shut down, they are
often trying to avoid a rage response.
Difficulties Associated with Challenging
Behavior
Behaviors are often the result of the child’s
disability; they are usually not intentional.
Abstract thinking and perspective taking are
often difficult for children with EBD’s.
 We need to recognize this, not seek to punish!
 Look at behaviors as attempts to communicate,
not personal attacks. Respond to behaviors with
compassion & try to provide tools meet the
student’s needs.
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Difficulties – Fight or Flight??
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Low frustration tolerance
Limbic System: Controls emotions
and fight,flight or freeze responses
Forebrain: Reasoning and planning
 Limbic system can hijack the rest of
the brain…. Prevents rage and/or
distract when in rage!
Working With Defiant Kids: Understanding
the Keys to Communication
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Why do classroom conflicts between
teachers and students and seem to occur
so frequently?
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Conflicts are Power Struggles that must
always involve at least two parties.
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There are many factors that contribute
and tend to push each party into these
power struggles.
Factors that Contribute to Power Struggles
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Students who are predisposed to conflict
often do poorly in school and act out to
mask their embarrassment about their
lack of academic skills.
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Lack of social skills and strategies that
would help students to work through
problems.
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Confrontational behavior has ‘paid off’ for
students in the form of reduced
expectations for schoolwork or improved
social standing with peers.
Common errors in dealing with
Confrontation
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The longer a student has engaged in habitual
confrontational investment a teacher will need to
put into strategies to turn the behavior around.
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Teachers often react to student provocation and
allow themselves to get pulled into power
struggles.
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If a student is labeled ‘defiant’, teachers tend to
jump to conclusions, and ambiguous behavior is
quickly interpreted as defiant or deliberate. This
often triggers confrontation.
Reducing Power Struggles
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Maintain an outwardly calm demeanor when
faced with a defiant student.
Approach student privately and use a quiet
voice.
Establish eye contact and call student by name
before asking them to do something.
State commands as positive statements (do)
instead of negative (don’t).
Phrase commands in clear, descriptive terms.
Effective Communication
Strategies
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Active Listening
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I-Centered Statements
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Pairing Criticism with Praise
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Make a request
Conflict Pitfalls in
Communication
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Avoid a mismatch between words and
nonverbal signals.
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Take time to plan your response to
provocative student behavior.
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Don’t become entangled in a discussion or
argument with a confrontational student.
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Don’t try to coerce or force student to comply.
Proactive Steps that minimize
conflict
 Offer
exit strategies for
confrontational students
 Use
face-saving alternatives rather
than threatening tactics when
redirecting behavior
Strategies for Working with
Emotionally Unpredictable Students
Stage 1: Frustration
Warning Signs:
 Bite nails or lips
 Frown
 Grumble
 Face becomes flush
 Appear tense
 Seem stuck on a topic or issue
Strategies to Prevent or Reduce the
Intensity of Student Frustration
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Send student on an errand
Permit student to go to a quiet spot
Establish a nonverbal sign to alert
student
Encourage student to use self-calming
strategies
Give student an IOU to meet after class
to discuss issue
Provide alternative assignments or
choices for students with academic
weaknesses
Strategies for Working with
Emotionally Unpredictable Students
Stage 2: Defensiveness
Warning Signs:
 Lash out verbally at others
 Withdraw emotionally or physically
 Challenge authority of the adult
 Refuse to comply with adult requests or
follow classroom routines
 Project blame onto others
Strategies to Prevent or Reduce the
Intensity of Student Defensiveness
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Avoid discussions of “who is right” or
“who is in control”
Approach student privately with a quiet
voice
Consider an apology
Hold peers accountable for provoking
student
Direct the student to write down
concerns for discussion after class
Use effective teacher commands
Effective Teacher Commands
 Keep
command brief
 State command directly
“I need you to…”
 Use
businesslike tone, avoid anger
or sarcasm (don’t take it
personally)
 Repeat command before imposing
consequences
Strategies for Working with
Emotionally Unpredictable Students
Stage 3: Aggression
Warning Signs:
 Make verbal threats
 Use abusive language
 Assume threatening posture
 Physically strike out at peers or
adults
Strategies to React to, Prepare for or
Respond to Student Aggression
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Remove other students from vicinity
Adopt a supportive stance
Respect the student’s personal space
Use supportive nonverbal
communication
Maintain calm tone of voice
Do not block the door
Deliver a clear statement of choices
3-Step Approach for Making
Requests to Upset Students
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Give the student two clear choices with clear
consequences. Order them so that teacher
preferred choice is last.
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If student fails to comply with Step 1, state
clearly and firmly what you want the student
to do. Include a time limit and specify a
location.
3.
If the student fails to comply, enforce
predetermined consequences
Key Characteristics of AD
Deficits in Social Interactions
 Socially aloof
 Inappropriate eye contact
 Desire peer interaction but are
unskilled
 Have difficulty taking another’s
perspective
 Appear to lack empathy
Key Characteristics of AD
Rules/Routines/Rituals
 Use objects in an atypical fashion
 Insist that others do things
according to a strict structure
developed by their own rules
 Strong desire for orderliness
Key Characteristics of AD
Language Development
 May have delays in early development
followed by a “language explosion”
 May demonstrate hyperlexia but not
understand language or pragmatics
 May engage in perseverative or
repetitive speech
 Impairments in social uses of language
 Derive meaning from spoken or written
word
Key Characteristics of AD
Poor Problem Solving and Organization
 Difficulties in situations required
“common sense,” organization, or
abstract reasoning
 Deficits in mental planning
 Poor impulse control
 Ineffective self-monitoring
 Difficulty transitioning from one
situation to another
Emotional Disorders: Focus on
Change
Elements of children with a serious
emotional or behavioral disability:
 Demonstrate behavior that is noticeably
different from that expected in school
or the community.
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They are in need of instructional
remediation
Emotional Disorders: Focus on
Change
Fact: It is difficult to directly identify or remediate a
student’s conduct disorder or emotional disability.
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The most effective approach is to operationally define
and pinpoint the specific behaviors and remediate them.
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The two important questions to address in developing a
behavior change plan are:
1. What do you want the student to do instead?
2. What is the most effective and efficient means to
help the student reach the goal?
Strategies for helping students
with Behavioral Disabilities
Provide Opportunities to Practice New
Behaviors
 In helping students replace negative
behaviors they need to learn new social
skills. Students need to learn new skills
and have opportunities to practice the
skills.
 Don’t assume that students already
have the skills. They may need to learn
and practice new skills.
Target Prosocial Behaviors
Some examples of prosocial
behaviors include:
Taking turns, working with a partner,
following directions
 Working in group with others
 Displaying appropriate behavior toward
peers and adults
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Target Prosocial Behaviors
 Increasing
Positive Relationships
 Demonstrating positive verbal and
nonverbal relationships.
 Showing interest and caring
 Settling conflicts without fighting
 Displaying appropriate affect (I.e.
Smiling when happy, serious face
when concentrating)
Understanding Inappropriate or
Problem Behavior
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Understand that behavior either “gets”
something or works to “avoid” something
Research suggests that problem behavior
serves one of five functions:
1. Access attention from peers, adults, or
both
2. Access tangible objects or preferred
activities
3. Access to internal or external
stimulation
4. Avoid interaction with adults, peers, or
both
5. Avoid tasks or responsibilities
Understanding Inappropriate or
Problem Behavior
An intervention should allow the student to
continue to meet his or her needs (i.e.
function) but through more appropriate
behavior
 Interventions should focus on the student and
the teaching environment by teaching
appropriate alternative behavior to replace
problem behavior
 Appropriate behavior should be more efficient
than the problem behavior and should be in
the student’s repertoire
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