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Attention Deficit
Disorder
Introduction
Behavioral disorders, also known as conduct disorders, are one of the
most common forms of psycho pathology among children and young adults
and is the most frequently cited reason for referral to mental health services.
The appearance of behavioral disorders is increasing dramatically in our K-12 classrooms.
As a result their presence severely constrains the ability of the school systems to
educate students effectively. The prevalence of behavioral problems
among children and young adults is substantial. Many surveys indicate
that behavioral disorders vary among young adults, ranging from 2 and
6%. This percentage translates into 1.3 to 3.8 million cases of
behavioral disorders among the school and pre-college population.
Behavioral disorders become apparent when the student displays a
repetitive and impact persistent pattern of behavior that results in
significant disruption in other students. Such disturbances may cause significant
impairments in academic, social, and or occupational functioning. Such a behavior
pattern is consistent throughout the individual life. Among the characteristics of a
behavioral disorder among children and adolescents are:
- Initiation of aggressive behavior and reacting aggressively to
others.
- A display of bullying, threatening, or intimidating behavior.
- Being physically abusive of others.
- Deliberate destruction of other's property.
- Showing little empathy and little concern for feelings, wishes, and well
being of others.
- Showing callous behavior towards others and lack of feelings of
guilt or remorse.
- They may readily inform on their companions and tend to blame
others for their own misdeeds.
General Strategies
- Bring to the student's attention science role models with a
similar disability to that of the student. Point out that this individual got ahead by a
combination of effort and by asking for help when needed.
- Ask previous teachers about interactive techniques for interaction that have previously
been effective with the student in the past.
- Expose students with behavioral disorders to other students who
demonstrate the appropriate behaviors.
- Direct instruction or target behaviors is often required to help
students master them.
- Have preestablished consequences for misbehavior.
- Administer consequences immediately, then monitor proper behavior
frequently.
- Determine whether the student is on medication, what the schedule
is, and what the medication effects may be on his or her in class
demeanor with and without medication. Then adjust the teaching
strategies accordingly.
- Use time-out sessions to cool off disruptive behavior and as a
break if the student needs one for a disability-related reason.
- In group activities, acknowledge the contributions of the student
with a behavioral disorder.
- Devise a contingency plan with the student in which inappropriate
forms of response are replaced by appropriate ones.
- Treat the student with the behavioral disorder as an individual
who is deserving of respect and consideration.
- When appropriate, seek input from the student about their
strengths, weaknesses and goals.
- Enforce classroom rules consistently.
- Make sure the discipline fits the "crime," without harshness.
- Provide encouragement.
- Reward more than you punish, in order to build self-esteem.
- Praise immediately on all good behavior and performance.
- Change rewards if they are not effective for motivating behavioral
change.
- Develop a schedule for applying positive reinforcement in all
educational environments.
- Encourage others to be friendly with students who have emotional
disorders.
- Monitor the student's self-esteem. Assist in modification, as
needed.
- Self-esteem and interpersonal skills are especially essential for
all students with emotional disorders.
- Do not expect students with behavioral disorders to have immediate
success; work for improvement on a overall basis.
- As a teacher, you should be patient, sensitive, a good listener,
fair and consistent in your treatment of students with behavioral
disorders.
- Present a sense of possesiveness in the classroom environment.
Teacher Presentation
- After a week, or so, of observation, try to anticipate classroom
situations where the student's emotional state will be vulnerable and be prepared
to apply the appropriate mitigative strategies.
- By using examples, encourage students to learn science so they can
emulate adult behaviors.
- Check on the student's basic capacity to communicate and adjust
your communication efforts accordingly.
- Use a wide variety of instructional equipment which can be
displayed for the students to look at and handle.
- When an interest in a particular piece has been kindled, the
instructor can talk to the student about it and show him or her how to
use it.
- Instructions should be simple and very structured.
- Group participation in activities is highly desirable because it
makes social contacts possible.
- Monitor the student carefully to ensure that the students without disabilities
do not dominate the activity or detract in any way from the
successful performance of the student with the behavioral disorder.
- Teachers should reward students for good behavior and withhold
reinforcement for inappropriate behavior.
- Some aggressive students act as they do because of a subconcious
desire for attention, and it is possible to modify their behavior by
giving them recognition.
- Have the individual with the behavioral disorder be in charge of
an activity which can often reduce the aggressiveness.
- Special efforts should be made to encourage and easily facilitate students with behavioral
disorders to interact.
- Show confidence in the student's ability and set goals that
realistically can be achieved.
- Plan for successful participation in the activities by the
students. Success is extremely important to them.
- The environment must be structured but sensitive to the needs of
these youth with behavioral disorders.
- Expose students with behavioral disorders to other students who
demonstrate the appropriate behaviors.
- Direct instruction or target behaviors is often required to help
students master them.
- Consultation with other specialists, including the special
education teacher, school psychologist, and others may prove helpful in
devising an effective strategy.
- Keep an organized classroom learning environment.
- Devise a structured behavioral management program.
- As an educator you serve as a model for the students who are
behaviorally disturbed. Your actions therefore, must be consistent,
mature, and controlled. Behavioral outbursts and/or angry shouting at
students inhibit rather than enhance an educational environment.
- Provide a carefully structured learning environment with regard to
physical features of the room, scheduling, routines, and rules of
conduct.
- If unstructured activities must occur, you must clearly
distinguish them from structured activities in terms of time, place,
and expectations.
- Let your students know the expectations you have, the objectives
that have been established for the activity, and the help you will give
them in achieving objectives.
- When appropriate, seek input from the students about their
strengths, weaknesses and goals.
- Do not expect students with behavioral disorders to have immediate
success; work for improvement on a overall basis.
- Be fair and consistent, but temper you consistency with
flexibility.
- You should refer the students to visual aids and reading materials
that may be used to learn more about the techniques of skill
performance.
- Present a sense of positiveness in the learning environment.
- Remain calm, state the infraction of the rule, and avoid debating
or arguing with the student with a behavioral disorder.
- Have preestablished consequences for misbehavior.
- Administer consequences immediately, then monitor proper behavior
frequently.
- Enforce classroom rules consistently.
- Make sure the discipline fits the "crime," without harshness.
- Provide encouragement.
- Reward more than you punish, in order to build self-esteem.
- Praise immediately on all good behavior and performance.
- Change rewards if they are not effective for motivating behavioral
change.
- Find ways to encourage the student.
- Be positive and supportive.
- Develop a schedule for applying positive reinforcement in all
educational environments.
- Encourage others to be friendly with students who have emotional
disorders.
- Monitor the student's self-esteem. Assist in modification, as
needed.
- Self-esteem and interpersonal skills are especially essential for
all students with emotional disorders.
Recitation
- Use the appropriate general strategies, given above.
- Consider alternate activities/exercises that can be utilized with less
difficulty for the student, but has the same or similar learning objectives.
- If unstructured activities must occur, you must clearly distinguish them from
structured activated in terms of time, place, and expectations.
- Be sensitive when making team pairings for activities so that the student with an
emotional disorder is supported.
- Use a wide variety of instructional equipment which can be
displayed for the students to look at and handle.
- When an interest in a particular piece has been kindled, the
instructor can talk to the student about it and show him or her how to
use it.
- Activity instructions should be simple but structured.
- Monitor carefully to ensure that the students without disabilities do not
dominate the activity or detract in any way from the successful
performance of the student with the behavioral disorder.
- If unstructured activities must occur, you must clearly
distinguish them from structured activities in terms of time, place,
and expectations.
- Special efforts should be made to get students with behavioral
disorders to interact in laboratory activities.
- If a student must be denied permission to use the equipment, this
should be done on an impersonal basis so the student will not feel hurt
or discriminated against.
- Plan for successful participation in the laboratory activities by the
students with behavioral disorder. Success is extremely important to
them.
- To ensure success consider the special needs and interests of each
person; give friendly, patient instruction in the laboratory skills; and
continually encourage a wider interest in activities.
- When a student displays a reaction of dislike to the activities
this dislike usually stems from fear or lack of experience for the
activity or factors inherent within the situation itself.
- Some students with behavioral disorders may go to great lengths to avoid class
participation. To feign their disorder is the method most frequently used,
in hope of being excused from participation.
- Every effort should be made to arouse the interest of such
students in laboratory activities, so they will learn to perform the activities
with success and pleasure.
Group Interaction and Discussion
- Acknowledge the contributions of the student with an emotional
disorder.
- Call for responses and participation commensurate with the
student's socialization skills.
- As the student's comfort level rises and when a safe topic is
available, encourage the student to be a group spokesperson.
- Along with the student, devise a contingency plan in which
inappropriate forms of response are replaced by appropriate ones.
- Gradually increase the challenges in the student's participation
in group exercises while providing increased positive reinforcement.
- Help the student to feel as though he or she has something
worthwhile to contribute to the discussion.
- Some students may experience considerable strain in social
adjustment in a group context. It may be necessary to work gradually toward group
activities. One can devise a strategy of progressing from spectatorship to one-to-one instruction
and eventually to small group discussion.
- Should monitor carefully to ensure that the nondisabled students
do not dominate the discussion or detract in any way from the
successful performance of the student with the behavioral
disorder.
Research
- Review and discuss with the student the steps involved in a
research activity. Think about which step(s) may be difficult for the
specific functional limitations of the student and jointly devise
accommodations for that student.
- Use appropriate lab and field strategies.
- Depending on the site of the research check the previous two
sections.
- Show clear examples of what the students should expect as an
outcome of their research.
Field Experiences (active and passive)
- Use appropriate general strategies.
- Consider alternate activities/exercises that can be utilized with
less difficulty for the student, but has the same or similar learning
objectives.
- In field activities acknowledge the contributions and assistance
of the student with an emotional disorder.
- Help the student to feel as though he or she has something
worthwhile to contribute to the field trip.
- Use a buddy system.
- Gradually increase the challenges in the student's participation
in field exercises while providing increased positive
reinforcement.
- Group participation in field activities is highly desirable because it
enhances social contacts.
- Make the student with the behavioral disorder become one of the field trip
leader of an activity which can often reduce their disorder.
- Special efforts should be made to get students with behavioral
disorders to interact with other students.
- You should encourage students to practice field skills during their free
hours.
- Every effort should be made to arouse the interest of such
students in activities, so they will learn to perform the activities
with success and pleasure.
Testing