EmotionalDisturbance

IDEAdefinition:
Emotionaldisturbancemeansaconditionexhibitingoneormoreofthefollowingcharacteristicsovera
longperiodoftimeandtoamarkeddegreethatadverselyaffectsachildseducationalperformance:

Aninabilitytolearnthatcannotbeexplainedbyintellectual,sensory,orhealthfactors
Aninabilitytobuildormaintainsatisfactoryinterpersonalrelationshipswithpeersandteachers
Inappropriatetypesofbehaviororfeelingsundernormalcircumstances
Ageneralpervasivemoodofunhappinessordepression
Atendencytodevelopphysicalsymptomsorfearsassociatedwithpersonalorschoolproblems

CharacteristicsofEmotionalDisturbance

Hyperactivity
:Shortattentionspan,impulsiveness
Aggressionorselfinjuriousbehavior
:Actingout,fighting
Withdrawal
:Notinteractingsociallywithothers,excessivefearoranxiety
Immaturity
:Inappropriatecrying,tempertantrums,poorcopingskills
Learningdifficulties
:Academicallyperformingbelowgradelevel

SpecificDiagnosis:

AnxietyDisorder:
Anxietycanbeexcessive,persistent,seeminglyuncontrollable,andoverwhelming.An
irrationalfearofeverydaysituationsmaybeinvolved.anxietydisorderisanumbrella
termthatactuallyreferstoseveraldistinctdisabilitiesthatsharethecorecharacteristicof
irrationalfear:generalizedanxietydisorder(GAD),obsess
ivecompulsivedisorder
(OCD),panicdisorder,posttraumaticstressdisorder(PTSD),socialanxietydisorder(also
calledsocialphobia),andspecificphobias.anxietydisordersarethemostcommon
psychiatricillnessesaffectingchildrenandadults.Theyarealsohighlytreatable.
Unfortunately,onlyabout1/3ofthoseaffectedreceivetreatment.
BipolarDisorder:
Knownasmanicdepressiveillness,bipolardisorderisaseriousmedicalconditionthat
causesdramaticmoodswingsfromoverlyhighand/orirritabletosadandhopeless,and
thenbackagain,oftenwithperiodsofnormalmoodinbetween.Severechangesin
energyandbehaviorgoalongwiththesechangesinmood.Formostpeoplewithbipolar
disorder,thesemoodswingsandrelatedsymptomscanbestabilizedovertimeusingan
approachthatcombinesmedicationandpsychosocialtreatment.
ConductDisorder
Conductdisorderreferstoagroupofbehavioralandemotionalproblemsinyoungsters.
Childrenandadolescentswiththisdisorderhavegreatdifficultyfollowingrulesand
behavinginasociallyacceptableway.Thismayincludesomeofthefollowing
behaviors:
aggressiontopeopleandanimals
destructionofproperty
deceitfulness,lying,orstealingor

truancyorotherseriousviolationsofrules
EatingDisorder:
Characterizedbyextremesineatingbehavioreithertoomuchortoolittleorfeelings
ofextremedistressorconcernaboutbodyweightorshape.Femalesaremuchmorelikely
thanmalestodevelopaneatingdisorder.
Anorexianervos
aand
bulimianervosa
arethe
twomostcommontypesofeatingdisorders.
PsychoticDisorder
Psychoticdisordersisanotherumbrellatermusedtorefertoseverementaldisorders
thatcauseabnormalthinkingandperceptions.Twoofthemainsymptomsaredelusions
andhallucinations.Delusionsarefalsebeliefs,suchasthinkingthatsomeoneisplotting
againstyou.Hallucinationsarefalseperceptions,suchashearing,seeing,orfeeling
somethingthatisnotthere.Schizophreniaisonetypeofpsychoticdisorder.Thereare
othersaswell.Treatmentforpsychoticdisorderswilldifferfrompersontoperson,
dependingonthespecificdisorderinvolved.Mostaretreatedwithacombinationof
medicationsandpsychotherapy(atypeofcounseling).

LearningStrategies:

Providestudentswithpositivebehavioralsupport
Setclearclassroomexpectationsandenforcerulesconsistently.
Establishaquietspaceinyourclassroom
Establisharoutineandclassroomexpectations
Stressrewardsforpositivebehavior
Workonmaintainingrapport
WhenaddressingbehavioruseIstatements
Stressitisthestudents
behavior
andnotthestudentthatistheproblem.

ForTeachers:
PositiveBehavioralInterventionsandSupports:
Outlinesavarietyofstrategiesforpositivebehavior
support.
https://www.pbis.org/
ParentCenterHub:
GivesgeneralizedinformationandlinkstoresourcesonEmotionalDisturbances.
http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/emotionaldisturbance/
NationalAssociationofSpecialEducationTeachers:
Indepthdescriptionsandlearningstrategiesfor
specificemotionaldisturbances.
https://www.naset.org/emotionaldisturbance2.0.html

EDUCATIONALSTRATEGIESFORCHILDRENWITHEMOTIONALANDBEHAVIORAL
PROBLEMS:
Apdfcontainingindepthinformationaboutteachingstrategiesrelatedtoemotionaland
behavioralproblems.
http://cecp.air.org/aft_nea.pdf
ForStudents:
SAMAPP:
Providescopingstrategiesforindividualswithanxiety,includesgamesandbreathing
exercises.
http://samapp.org.uk/