Knowing and supporting children with Emotional Behavioural Disturbance (EBD)
Jean Claude Sabato
Expert in Gender, Disability, and Safeguarding | Child Protection & Inclusive Education Advocate ( Note that this is a personal profile, not an organizational profile)
Emotional and behavioural disorder (EBD) is a broad term used commonly in educational settings, to group a range of more specific difficulties experienced by children and adolescents. Both the general definitions and the concrete diagnosis of EBD may be controversial, as the observed behaviour may depend on many factors. Behavioural disorders, also known as conduct disorders, are one of the most common forms of psychopathology among children and young adults and are the most frequently cited reason for referral to mental health services. In recent years, “behavioural disorders” has gained favour over “emotional disturbance” as a more accurate label, meaning cases of children that deviate from normal and acceptable behaviours.
Students with emotional and behavioral problems exhibit a variety of characteristics. The severity of the disorder, as well as the way a disability or problem manifests itself, varies. While some students experience mood disorders like depression, others may experience intense anger or frustration. Furthermore, different students react very differently to depression, anger, or frustration. Some students, for example, may internalize their emotions and appear shy and withdrawn, whereas others may externalize their emotions and become violent or aggressive toward others. In other words, Emotional Behavioural disturbance is an inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.
Characteristics of EBD
Behavioural disorders become apparent when the child displays a repetitive and persistent pattern of behaviour that results in significant disruption of others in the class. Such disturbances may cause significant impairments in academic, social, and/or occupational functioning. Such a behaviour pattern is consistent throughout the individual’s life. Among the characteristics of a behavioural disorder among children and adolescents are:
Children who have emotional and behavioural disturbances exhibit significant behavioural excesses or deficits.
CAUSES OF EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE AND BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS
Emotional disturbance professionals use a variety of approaches to explain the causes of what are commonly referred to as "behavioral difficulties." Understanding how factors associated with emotional disturbance and behavioral problems affect students' achievement can benefit school staff, teachers, and paraprofessionals.
Biological factors: Certain biological conditions, such as depression and schizophrenia, as well as nutritional deficiencies, certain physical illnesses and injuries, and some neurological conditions, have been linked to emotional and behavioral disturbances.
Family factors: The environment in which children grow can either help or hinder their healthy development, and a child's behavior can have both negative and positive effects on other family members. Certain family members may also increase a child's risk of developing emotional disturbance or behavioral problems. (Physical abuse, child neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional maltreatment in children have all been linked to "troubling behaviors.")
School factors: Students who have emotional disturbances and behavioral issues tend to "underachieve" in school. Learning disabilities put them at a disadvantage in any school setting, especially because many of these students have not developed adequate social skills by the time they enter school, and poor social skills may result in social rejection by both peers and teachers. This rejection leads to even more disinterest in school, as well as even more underachievement and failure.
Community factors: Children are frequently subjected to stressors in their communities. Crime and gang violence have frequently been linked to a proclivity to behave in ways associated with emotional disturbance and behavioral problems.
Note: Teachers and paraprofessionals can frequently apply their knowledge of these factors to assess and improve students' educational experiences. If it is suspected that a child's problem behaviour is caused by a factor over which the child has no control; or, if a student's hyperactivity and distractibility are caused by a neurological condition, activities requiring sustained attention should be modified, and efforts should be made to increase the child's capacity for concentration.
Recognizing and identifying children with EBD
The primary goal of a teacher is to identify interfering behaviors and assist students in overcoming them. Teachers and paraprofessionals begin this process by examining the types of behavior that endangers students.
Identifying Patterns. This method is used to pinpoint possible behavioural patterns by identifying specific events that occur before (also known as antecedents) or after (also known as consequences) the problem behavior that may serve to maintain it. You might wonder if there are any recurring behavioral patterns. For example, the teacher may observe that the behavior occurs only during activities that require the student to read and comprehend information. Observers then keep a written record of everything they see and hear, as well as the context in which the target behavior occurs during those time periods.
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Measuring Frequency. This approach is used to count the number of times a behaviour occurs over a given time period. The educator defines the behaviour, observes the student at specific times, and records the frequency with which the behavior takes place. You may indeed ask oneself, "What circumstances tend to trigger the problem behaviour?" For instance, after a week of recording outbursts, the paraprofessional discovers that the majority of problem behaviour occurs when the student is asked to work with other classmates.
Measuring Duration. This method is used to figure out how long a student spends engaging in an interest behaviour. What piques the student's interest? A teacher, for example, may discover that a student can concentrate on manipulative mathematics tasks for more than 30 minutes.
What should we do?
States should have established procedures for student evaluation and assessment that ensure compliance with the 1997 Amendments to the IDEA and with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Once such procedures are established, the evaluation of students with emotional disturbance should be multifaceted.
As a result, we must evaluate that child to identify areas of strength and weakness. Education officials must consider the full range of supplementary supports and services that could be provided to meet the needs of individual students with disabilities when making placement decisions. If it is determined that a child's regular classroom environment is the least restrictive environment for him or her, the child's teacher has the right to be informed. This information should include a description of the child's strengths and needs, as well as any other information useful in developing an instructional programme. Similarly, because the IEP will be implemented by the student's regular classroom teacher, need to be informed to.
If a child in a regular education classroom has an IEP, the teacher becomes a partner in implementing the IEP. In fact, once an IEP is completed, it is frequently the responsibility of the classroom teacher to monitor the student's progress with the assistance of other members of the team. When necessary, classroom teachers and paraprofessionals may express concerns, for finding the common solutions.
Treatment intervention
Educators should ensure that students receive medication on time. In most cases, this entails reminding students to go to the nurse's office to take their medication.
It is critical to observe the student's behaviour and note instances that support the use of medication or indicate the presence of medication side effects. If a possible side effect occurs, a teacher or other school personnel should notify the school nurse or other appropriate school personnel, as well as the family. If necessary, the teacher should seek help; appropriate personnel, for example, a psychologist and/or nurse, should be available to assist with evaluating the effects of medication on a student’s learning.
When working with a student on medication, it is critical to be aware of the medication's side effects, as this consciousness will assist the teacher in recognising which behaviours the student cannot control. Furthermore, such knowledge will enable educators to notify other educators, school officials, and family members if a student exhibits behaviours that are associated with observable side effects.
TYPICAL FUNCTIONS OF A SUPPORT SPECIALIST
Students with emotional disturbances and behavioural issues, like their classmates, learn best in classrooms that have effective instruction and behavior-management routines. Students benefit most when academic tasks and instructional strategies are carefully designed to engage and support their learning, and when expectations and rules are clearly communicated to them, as educators are aware.
When working with students who have emotional disturbances or behavioural problems in the classroom, keep in mind that if the curriculum and instructional strategies do not capitalise on the child's strengths and address learning needs, frustration may result in acting-out or withdrawn behaviours.
Designing successful opportunities for students with emotional disturbance and behavioural problems may necessitate changes in how educators plan and organise instruction, manage classrooms, and arrange the physical layout of the classroom. These extra efforts will not only benefit students with emotional disturbances and behavioural issues, but they will also likely help other students achieve greater success.
Remember that the "stick" and "corporal punishment" have no effect unless they harm a child who may be suffering from behavioural issues and emotional disturbance. However, while assisting these children, teachers, caregivers, or parents should cultivate positive behaviour management.
Teacher at Doncaster academy
2 年Thank you fot this article. It givrs a clearer understanding of this type of behavioural issue and how to handle it. Will pass this artcle on to others. Thank you very much.
Teacher & Educator | Focused on guiding students finding their inner peace
2 年Thank you very much for this article. It gives a great understanding of what EBD is and good tools to analyze and assess it. When I read ''the primary goal of a teacher is to identify interfering behaviors and assist students in overcoming them'', I am not sure I can agree that it is their primary role. Teachers have more than one role. They teach and guide students, support parents, respect the curriculum, evaluate progress, differentiate resources to match students' needs, design fun content, etc... They are multitasking and exhausted with everything that is on their plate already. I agree that we rethink how we manage students with behavioral difficulties and that the school system has a lack of resources for students. But if we want the teachers to support and help students with EBD, teachers need to have actual training on how to do so. Finding resources, reading articles, and watching videos are not enough and take a lot of energy. This overwhelms teachers...and teachers must have stable mental health themselves to support their students. I know you would agree with this. I was just reacting because I know how it feels to deeply care about students and feel powerless at the same time. Thank you for this amazing article!