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Religious Ramifications
Social Significance
Cultural Conditioning
Mr. Shane, like so many teachers had aspirations for this year. He put up bulletin boards, prepared lesson plans, bought great supplies out of his own pocket and felt prepared. In walked his class. Before the day was over, things seemed hopeless to him. One student or another disrupted, laughed, talked, tried to get him off the subject or used inappropriate language or gestures. For a while he sent a steady stream of youngster to the counselor. Unfortunately, as soon as one miscreant left, another took the youngster’s place. He wondered what he was doing in teaching. This classroom included a group of youngsters who did not seem to be able to control themselves and were deeply invested in trying to control him.
That night he did a lot of questioning.
What is misbehavior?
How do various theories explain human behaviors - and what do they feel will support change?
How are "being bad" and emotionally disturbed different?
Do some people choose to be bad while others are compelled to do things that are inappropriate?
Are some things wrong, no matter the time, culture, religion?
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), of the 33 million children and adolescents age nine to 17, between 3.5 million and four million suffer from "a serious emotional disturbance" (SED), which refers to a range of diagnosable emotional, behavioral, and mental disorders that severely disrupt the youth’s daily functioning in home, school, or community.
Between nine percent and 13 percent of children in that age group have a serious emotional disturbance. Children living in poverty are twice as likely to have a serious emotional disturbance than those living in higher socioeconomic groups.
The National Mental Health Association states: Many children and families are affected by mental health problems. At any given time:
One in five children and adolescents may have a mental health problem.
At least 1 in 10, or as many as 6 million young people, may have a serious emotional disturbance. (Center for Mental Health Services, CMHS)
An estimated two-thirds of all young people with mental health problems are not getting the help they need. (Center for Mental Health Services, CMHS)
About 1% of school children are served - and it is considered one of the most highly underserved category in special education.
Externalizing problems are most often recognized and served with support than internalizing issues
There are 8 boys receiving services for every 1 girl identified and placed in an EBD setting.
These are some of the facts, and there is a great deal to learn. It is fascinating and compelling to study human nature, functional and dysfunctional. Let’s look at behaviors from a cultural point of view. Our beliefs can be rather hidden from us since they are a part of things we experiences as we grew up and often have an emotional and social meaning rather than an intellectual one. That is true of the teacher in the classroom. What we expect students to do is based on our own experiences, our enculturation, our training or education. It may not match the social expectations of the students.
We can often pick up disparity when a situation is novel. We are less able to see the disparity in our own practices. As an example, we routinely circumcise baby boys in our culture. We are used to that and think little of it. When we found out that some cultures cut the clitoris of girls, we gave that a lot of attention. Are there things like that in our own lives that help us define mental health and lack of it?
Here are some examples.
Maria is laying out a feast for the dead. There is a festive air surrounding all the goodies she lays on the blanket.
Martin is being put in restraints. He continues to moan and chatter about his dead mother coming to visit him.
One attempt to communicate with the Dead is celebrated annually, the other will
likely lead to hospitalization.
Jerry is a 14 year old boy who is receiving a medal of valor for shooting a man
who was holding up a store.
John is going to jail for shooting a rival gang member.
There is a time and place for violence in some societies. For some of us there
are situations when killing is honored, while in other circumstances it is punished.
One of the ways to define emotional disturbance includes determining if a person
is a danger to self and others.
Ben has worked for several weeks, following the dictates of his culture and religion
and has now entered an altered state that has great religious significance. He
is at the threshold of the rites that will help him be ready to take on the challenges
and significance of manhood.
Burton is entering treatment for substance abuse. He was caught using an illegal,
mind altering drug.
Altered states may be honored in one situation, punished in another.
Miss Marten has a talk with her class and points out how much she honors Jason,
who spoke up about injustice in the school.
Mr. Morris sends Jason to detention for disrespecting him by questioning his
test.
How a message is received has a great deal to do with decisions about behavior.
The power of the speaker and the power position of the recipient may alter how
a message is received. That may also include gender, and there may be a difference
in how someone responds if the speaker is from a perceived minority.
Luz is raped and begins to be fearful about strangers or walking alone at night.
Lacy gets panicky in situations with no warning. The sense of dread is building,
and now, six months later, she is never certain what will trigger intense feelings
of dread and anxiety.
Tragic events can create emotional distress. Emotional disturbances may not have
an obvious triggering event.
Tracy's father dies and she has no interest in school or interaction with friends.
Tim begins to experience a feeling of dread that he cannot shake. He finds a
sense of ominous foreboding is building, and now, six months later, he is not
sleeping, has suicidal thoughts and feels hopeless.
Tragic events can create a depressed mood. Clinical depression, with no obvious
crisis point may slip into a student's life and create a sense of lethargy and
hopelessness.
Lonnie likes to costume himself and often chooses clothes that make him look
pretty sexy and feminine. He and his friends get a real kick out of the process
and laugh about the good times, the fun and stimulation of playing the part of
a woman.
Larry hates being male. He desperately wants to save up the money to have a sex
change operation. He often dresses as a girl and the kids have seen him and made
him the joke in conversations in the school.
Both students are engaging in cross-dressing, but only one is having emotional
problems that are related to gender.
If there is so much diversity in how we interpret similar actions, how will we
be able to determine when a student needs exceptional support?
Now, back to our vignette about Mr. Shane and his class:
As the year progresses and Mr. Shane becomes more tired and frustrated, he may
begin to make referrals to special education. He will be surprised, probably,
that most of the student actions he finds troublesome are considered discipline
issues. The students who are giving him such a difficult time are found ineligible
for special education by the MET team. Just what kind of things are examples
of emotional disability?
For the rest of this module, consider what it means, how we decide and what options
or tools are available to us to help youngsters when they are having a difficult
time. As a recent student told me, “It is better to be mad than stupid.” How
many youngsters are quite, sane, quite rational and taking care of anxiety through
avoidance, redirection and distraction?
One more question to ponder --- have you ever been emotionally disturbed? How
would you know? We ask ourselves if we are slipping when we become over tired
or ill. How do you know your own emotional state?
Internalizing or externalizing
A useful way to think about youngsters who need special support is how it impacts
those around them. Some children are never seen as emotionally needy because
they withdraw, giving others very little idea of how troubled they are. We tend
to under serve these children and to be less aware of their grief, anger, pain,
depression.
| INTERNALIZING | EXTERNALIZING |
|---|---|
Exhibits painful shyness or withdrawal Teased or victimized by peers Seems to worry excessively Panics in many situations and seems to have unfounded fears and phobias Appears to have low esteem Solves problems by disengaging Tends to be suicidal or have thoughts of death and retreating from life May be anorexic or bulimic |
Causes or threatens physical harm to people and animals Uses lewd or obscene gestures frequently Ignores directions and reprimands Is verbally hostile, including argumentative Has tantrums, fits, rages Damages property and belongings or others |
Recognize and value the student as they are without pressing them to be more, different Accept student feelings and honor them rather than discounting fear or discomfort Minimize power struggles - especially since the student is not likely to share needs if this occurs -- "brick wall time" Keep the classroom safe and supportive for all students; minimizing lecturing as a form of behavior management, punishments, fuming Stay away from manipulating the student or using them as an example to others Minimize pressure for perfection When appropriate, reduce work load for students who are "drawing" their work Honor individuality and respect a student's request not to speak in front of the class, to go the bathroom, to work alone Provide places for the student to express feelings and needs - diary, making up objectives for next class, self pacing, self evaluating |
Firmly describe expectations Anticipate problems and watch for triggers Model lack of anger and self control Minimize change and maximize ritual Explain consequences and resist temptation to use them retroactively - "You did this, now I'm going to do this" Provide advance notice of change - even expected change -- In five minutes the bell will ring for recess Provide high intensity outlets for students that are solitary pursuits, increase endorphins, decrease adrenalin Expect student to work on self control, to self monitor and sense emotional fluctuations, then to adjust to them Maximize opportunities for students to gain second person perspective Set up interactions that are likely to be successful and monitor them the whole time Provide choices and defer control. "The clock shows the bell is about to ring. Would you like help cleaning up or do you want to do it yourself?" |
Behavior disorders may also be categorized as having four clusters of traits,
including conduct disorders, anxiety-withdrawl, immaturity, and socialized aggression.
- Quay, H. C. (1986) Classification. Psychopathological disorders of childhood
(3rd ed.).New York: John Wiley &Sons.
Anxiety involves intense feelings of worry and tension when there is no real danger. The symptoms include significant distress and interfere with daily activities and learning. Sufferers of anxiety disorders usually take extreme measures to avoid situations that provoke anxiety. The physical signs of anxiety are restlessness, irritability, disturbed sleep, muscle aches and pains, gastrointestinal distress, and difficulty concentrating. Anxiety disorders are often accompanied by the symptoms of depression and can lead to chronic anxiety.
Conduct disorder is a persistent pattern of behavior that involves violating the rights and ignoring or failing to recognize the needs of others (disobedience, destructiveness). The pattern is seen at home, school, and in the community. Verbal and physical aggression are key features of conduct disorder.
Immaturity is characterized by daydreaming, passiveness, a short attention span, preference for younger playmates, clumsiness, general appearance of being younger than years.
Socialized aggression refers to youth who build or join a community of peers
who are involved in delinquent act, "wilding" truancy, tagging, theft,
bullying others with acts of violence or threats to life or property.
There is also a diagnostic manual, the DSM-IV, that specifies numerous categories
and provides checklists of symptoms to help professionals learn about and support
these special emotional needs. Here is an overview of the categories most often
ascribed to youth.
DSM-IV Categories that apply to youth -copyright 1994 by APA
Mental Retardation mild, moderate, severe, profound
Learning Disorders in reading, mathematics, and written expression
Communication Disorders expressive, mixed, receptive-expressive, phonological,
and stuttering
Pervasive Developmental Delay childhood-onset schizophrenia, Rett's disorder,
Asperger's disorder
Attention Deficit and Disruptive Disorders Attention deficit/hyperactivity, conduct,
oppositional defiant
Feeding and eating disorders of Infancy or Early Childhood Pica, rumination,
feeding disorder of infancy or early childhood
Elimination Disorders Encopresis (problems with solid waste), enuresis (wetting)
Other Separation anxiety, selective mutism, reactive attachment disorder of infancy
or early childhood, stereotypic movement disorder
DSM-IV Categories that are not listed separately as applying solely to youth
-copyright 1994 by APA
Mood Disorders depressive disorders, bipolar disorders
Anxiety Disorders specific phobia, social phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder
(OCD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute stress disorder, generalized
anxiety disorder, anxiety disorder due to a general medical condition
Eating Disorders anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa
Sleep disorders dyssomnias, parasomnias
This may be new to you. If so, it may help to start observing and actively thinking about what behaviors are “normal” and why. It also may be important to start looking at the situations and social settings that exist when a person acts out. Here are some suggestions to help heighten your awareness and think about behavior of others effectively. Some of the suggestions can also be accommodations to try. Those may give you insights into different ways to approach students who are not behaving and try alternative thinking about why they behave as they do.
Observe the student in several settings and look for triggers, feelings of others, feelings of the student.
Look into the history of the child's behaviors and things that have been tried and failed, things that have helped.
Communicate carefully and at times/in ways that are most likely to result in understanding.
Enhance the amount of structure and safety, including the student in developing the boundaries so they do not look like restraints and do not insight power struggles.
Increase the amount of stimulation that will reduce boredom and frustration, balancing that with ways that the student can quiet self.
Stay under self-control, avoiding feelings of frustration, anger, rage - since these seem to telegraph into student misbehavior.
Stay clear of value judgments and statements that ask the student to be self-insightful. (Why did you do that? What were you thinking? Didn’t you realize . . .)
Go to Activity Two
http://www.psywww.com/resource/selfhelp.htm great resource for different categories
of ED