special education emotional and behavioral disorders and teaching

Part One
Students with emotional, behavioral, and communication disorders have special needs that instructors can address in the classroom through best practice instructional strategies. Working with a strong, evidence-based definition of terms, instructors can also identify students with emotional, behavioral, and communication disorders by recognizing their core characteristics, even while acknowledging and appreciating their students’ individuality and unique self-expression.
Definitions of Terms
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Emotional and behavioral disorders are defined differently at the state and federal level, with IDEA language referring to the term “emotional disturbance,” which is eschewed in most states (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009, p. 167). The IDEA definition of emotional disturbance includes children with schizophrenia as well as those who exhibit an inability to learn or to develop social relationships for other reasons (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009). Controversies and disagreements over the IDEA definition has led to new nomenclature to refer to students with emotional or behavioral disorder. The phrase “emotional or behavioral disorder,” or EBD, is defined by several components including adverse impacts on social, academic, or vocational performance that is unresponsive to standard interventions (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009, p. 168). Like the IDEA definition of emotional disturbance, the definition of EBD also encompasses students who have been diagnosed with a psychiatric condition that is the cause of the issues.
Communication Disorders
Communication disorders refer to any type of struggle with language or speech. Both language processing and decoding may be issues for students with communication disorders. Speech and language impairments are relatively common communication disorders. Stuttering and other voice impairments are also communication disorders, because they can adversely affect student performance in school or socially (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009). Both speech disorders and language disorders fall under the rubric of communications disorders, according to laws like IDEA and also to organizations like the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009). Speech disorders refer to articulation issues specifically, while language disorders refer to disorders related to the form, content, and function of language (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009).
Characteristics
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Although different for each individual, with some variations due to both age and gender, there are some distinguishing features of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Characteristics of students with emotional and behavioral disorders can be classified as externalizing characteristics, or acting out, internalizing characteristics, or inwardly directed issues, and also intellectual and academic characteristics that impact performance in school and on assessments.
The externalizing characteristics exhibited by students with emotional and behavioral disorders are the ones that instructors, parents, and peers will be aware of first and most often. Aggressive behavior is a prime example of how a behavioral or emotional disorder might manifest. Hitting others or destroying property are types of externalizing behaviors. Some students with EBD may eventually be diagnosed with specific mood or conduct disorders after they see a psychologist. (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009).
Internalizing characteristics of students with emotional and behavioral disorders are more challenging to recognize, even by parents or siblings. Anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders are perfect examples of internalizing states that adversely affect the quality of life and performance of students with EBD. Only by noticing corresponding behaviors, such as lack of interest in activities the child once enjoyed, or being socially withdrawn, might a parent or teacher recognize that the student is expressing internalizing characteristics of an underlying emotional or behavioral disorder.
While EBD affects each student differently, there are some notable intellectual and academic characteristics teachers can notice. Students with EBD tend to score lower on IQ tests than their peers without EBD (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009). In fact, the more severe the symptoms of EBD, the lower the student’s IQ score tends to be (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009). Therefore, IQ tests can be considered when assessing a student for EBD. Language deficits are also more prevalent among students with EBD than without, but global academic performance in multiple subject areas will also be sub-par in relation to the same age peer group (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009). Students with emotional and behavioral disorders also may have difficulties learning, acquiring, or processing information.
Communication Disorders
The primary characteristics of students with communication disorders will be evident in the child’s speech, or in the child’s performance in language-related tasks, such as when performance lags behind that of their peers. Educators may need to recognize specific manifestations of language disorders, such as phonological processing disorder, morphological disorder, semantics disorder, or pragmatics disorder (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009). In fact, some communication disorders, and language disorders in particular, are secondary features of intellectual disability or emotional and behavioral disorders (Taylor, Smiley, & Richards, 2009). Characteristics of speech disorders may be evident in articulation, such as sound distortion during regular speech, or a fluency disorder that disrupts the natural flow of the student’s conversation (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009).
Instructional Strategies
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Best practice instructional strategies for students with emotional and behavioral disorders include “intensive educational programs” adapted to suit the individual child and the circumstances (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009, p. 176). Students with EBD can access the general curriculum and instructional content, but with significant modifications, particularly when social interaction is part of the classroom design (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009). Research shows that service-learning activities can be especially helpful for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009). Teachers are also advised to focus firmly on academic instruction and student achievement, as student progress is likely to positively improve behavioral outcomes (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009). Supporting the student with personalized, culturally appropriate, positive, and responsive interventions will help the student develop the self-efficacy and self-confidence that can mitigate many of the externalizing and internalizing behaviors (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009). One study revealed positive results implementing a persuasive writing skills activity among students with EBD, specifically designed to improve self-efficacy and self-regulation (Ennis & Jolivette, 2014). Further research will reveal the specific instructional strategies that are warranted with specific student populations.
Teachers working with students with EBD also need to use instructional strategies that promote social skills development. Best practices in social skills development among the EBD cohort include both “sequencing and generalization,” through methods like Stop, Look, Ask, Make (SLAM) (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009, p. 177). The SLAM method breaks down an incident or social skill into its constituent parts, sequencing the steps the child can take to master that skill. Generalization of social skills refers to the ability of the child to transfer learning to other scenarios, which is why students with EBD can be taught social skills directly within the classroom environment. Teachers may also have access to specialized and proprietary social skills training interventions through their school district or community, providing additional support for students with severe EBD. Service-learning and transition planning for students with EBD is also part of the best practice recommendations in special education (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009). Functional communication training (FCT), which focuses on communication and effective responses to stress, is also “an evidence-based practice for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” (Hollo & Burt, 2018, p. 20).
Communication Disorders
Because language success is integral to overall academic and social success, best practice instructional strategies are crucial for helping students with communication disorders. In all cases, the instructor can work with a speech and language therapist or pathologist to help plan instructional content in ways that promotes the success of each student. Achieving literacy goals will be important for students, as will the attainment of communications skills in social settings (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009). Instructional procedures will include isolating specific language components of each exercise, helping the student to break down the language into its components through direct intervention. For students with language disorders, the teacher may need to help with both language comprehension and production. Games and technologies may be especially helpful when working with students with communication disorders (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009). Research also underscores the importance of classroom safety and peer victimization in the overall progress with students with communication disorders and also with emotional or behavioral disorders (La Salle, George & McCoach, 2018).
Part Two
Leaders in special education develop and implement best-practice instructional programming for students with high incidence disabilities involving emotional, behavioral, and communication disorders. Instructional programming for students with emotional, behavioral, and communication disorders includes the types of services and programs available through state and federal legislation, especially those that promote the goal of inclusion in general education classrooms. Moreover, the special education leader evaluates the effectiveness of all interventions and programs using evidence-based assessment methods and guidelines for classroom observation. Both special education teachers and their co-teachers in regular education have access to professional development and ongoing training opportunities to remain current with best practices in meeting student needs.
Collaboration is the key to effective instructional programming for students with emotional, behavioral, and communication disorders. Specialists like Speech and Language Pathologists can also become crucial members of the education team (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009). Skills in collaboration must be developed from the point of lesson plan design to co-teaching in the inclusive classroom (Ricci, Zetlin & Osipova, 2017). Professional relationships with counselors and psychologists also need to be maintained regularly throughout the school year. Counseling services are also available to promote the legal rights of students with emotional, behavioral, and communication disorders, with specific tutorial options available from professional organizations like ASHA (Lieberman, 2018). While IDEA does not name specific programs and services that are required for use in the inclusive classroom the fundamental tenets of IDEA are to promote inclusivity via personalized, direct, and conscientious instruction.
Through IDEA, students with emotional, behavioral, and communication disorders are guaranteed access to “qualified and committed professionals,” whose expertise can contribute to the development and implementation of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for each student (Huzinec, 2016, p. 1). As Taylor, Smiley & Richards (2009) also point out, teachers and special education teachers can collaborate on evidence-based classroom design and classroom management techniques that are effective for students with emotional, behavioral, and communication disorders such as contingency contracts or time-out. Strategies like differential reinforcement, response cost, extinction, and some types of punishments may be warranted in inclusive classrooms when teachers are faced with externalizing behaviors among EBD students (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009). Making specific content adaptations and focused attention on students with emotional, behavioral, and communication disorders helps improve academic achievement, which in turn reduces behavioral problems (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009). All of these strategies are only as effective as the teachers in a collaborative classroom setting implement them consistently.
The special education leader is entrusted with the responsibility of program evaluation and intervention assessment, by monitoring the progress of each student according to the IEP. Regular monitoring and observations in the inclusive classroom, meetings with parents and the student, meetings with other teachers or school administrators, and also meetings with counselors or specialists are also critical for program evaluation. Student self-reports are also instrumental, as are the actual academic outputs in grades and test scores. When a specific intervention strategy is not working, the special education leader takes the initiative to locate evidence-based alternatives with the help of specialists. In some cases, the special education teacher may need to refer the student for additional assessments by a psychologist or speech-language pathologist to uncover any additional issues that might arise or to account for any changes to the child’s behavior or performance. Grades and test scores are also not the only means of assessing students with emotional, behavioral, and communication disorders, or for evaluating program effectiveness. In many cases, a program is effective when it helps the child achieve other goals such as improved communications with peers (Taylor, Smiley & Richards, 2009). Therefore, the IEP will outline the specific ways the special education teacher will regularly monitor and assess program or intervention effectiveness.
To provide students with the best possible interventions and programs, special education leaders need to continually upgrade their skills in accordance with emerging research. Their co-teachers can also take advantage of workshops, seminars, and tutorials offered by special education organizations or by organizations like ASHA (Lieberman, 2018). Professional development is the key to providing the best possible instructional support and interventions for students with special needs in the inclusive classroom. Training and professional development opportunities do need to be made available directly from the school administrator or district, promoted clearly through staff meetings, and made accessible through incentives that encourage participation. Working with educational leaders and administrators on how to make professional development and training opportunities more available for all teachers, special education leaders can also stay abreast of the latest online resources and technological tools that may help improve collaborative teaching.









References
Ennis, R.P. & Jolivette, K. (2014). Using self-regulated strategy development for persuasive writing to increase the writing and self-efficacy skills of students with emotional and behavioral disorders in health class. Behavioral Disorders 40(1): 26-36.
Hollo, A. & Burt, J.L. (2018). Practices reflecting functional communication training for students with or at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. Behavioral Disorders 44(1): 20-39.
Huzinec, C. (2016). Critical education program components for students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. Pearson. https://www.pearsoned.com/critical-education-program-components-students-ebd/
La Salle, T., George, H.P. & McCoach, B. (2018). An examination of school climate, victimization, and mental health problems among middle school students self-identifying with emotional and behavioral disorders. Behavioral Disorders 43(3): 383-392.
Lieberman, A. (2018). Counseling issues. American Journal of Speech and Language Pathology 27(2018): 13-23.
Ricci, L.A., Zetlin, A. & Osipova, A.V. (2017). Preservice special educators’ perceptions of collaboration and co-teaching during university fieldwork: implications for personnel preparation. Teacher Development 21(5): 687-703.
Taylor, R.L., Smiley, L.R. & Richards, S.B. (2009). Exceptional students: Preparing teachers for the 21st century. Second Edition. McGraw-Hill. Digital Edition.