Title: Classroom-Based Interventions for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
1Classroom-Based Interventions for Students with
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
- Joseph Wehby
- Associate Professor
- Special Education, Peabody College
2Overview
- Interaction patterns in classrooms
- Child effects on adult teaching behaviors
- Academic problems associated with
emotional/behavioral disorders - Recommend treatment of emotional/behavioral
disorders in classrooms
3Classroom instruction for students with EBD
- Several descriptive studies on children with or
at-risk for EBD have shown that teacher behavior
may occasion and maintain some of the problem
behaviors that are characteristic of these
children.
4Descriptive Classrooms Studies of Children with
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
- Less than 2 praise statements per hour
- More engaged students received more positive
teacher behaviors, less engaged students received
more neglect and coercion from teachers, and were
treated with less consistency - Twice a many negative statement to students with
or at-risk for EBD - Over sixty percent of to do statements are
social in nature - High risk students received more reprimands, more
behavior requests, and few opportunities to
respond academically - Students rated as aggressive are twice as likely
to receive reprimands following inappropriate
classroom behavior - Compared to students with EBD, students without
EBD are treated less harshly when committing
similar behavioral offenses.
5Child Effect on Adult Behavior
- In effective schools literature, practices
highlight the role teacher plays in directing
students. - This adult focus suggests that children play a
passive role in these interactions. - However, research has shown that children may
actively influence the behavior of adults.
6An Emerging Model of Deprivation within Classrooms
- Students with emotional and behavioral disorders
enter school with poor self-control, inadequate
social skills, and above average levels of
inappropriate behavior. - Current classroom interactions focus primarily on
behavior (not academics) however, this focus is
typically punitive and somewhat inconsistent. - When interactions occur, most often around
non-academic issues. - Instructional interactions the teachers do
initiate often involved less challenging tasks
that typically elicited lower levels of student
problem behavior. - Correct academic responses by a student does not
occasion teacher praise above chance levels. - Curriculum of non-instruction.
7- This deprivation model suggest that a molar
perspective of the causes of classroom
misbehavior should be incorporated within the
more tradition molecular focus by looking at
generalized patterns of teacher-student
interactions. - A molar perspective assumes the need for
assessing the relation between problem behaviors
and events that may be seemingly unrelated (at
least on a temporal basis).
8- How do children who exhibit significant behavior
problems behavior respond when more consistent
and appropriate teacher interactions occur?
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11- It appears that one solution to addressing the
relationship between school performance and
students with EBD is to change the nature of
teacher-student interaction patterns within
classrooms.
12Instructional Interactions
- Teaching Behaviors Targeted for Intervention
- Instructional Talk
- Opportunities to respond
- Feedback
- Contingent Praise
13Opportunities to Respond
- Studies indicate increased OTR leads to
- increased academic outcomes
- increased task engagement
- decreased inappropriate behavior
14Teacher Praise
- Studies indicate increased praise leads to
- increased academic outcomes
- increased task engagement
- decreased inappropriate behavior
- It has been suggested that ratios of praise to
reprimands should range from 31 to 41 - Descriptive research indicates ratios of praise
to reprimands of 12 to 14
15Possible Solutions
- Determine ways to help teachers monitor their
instructional behavior toward students who engage
in problem behavior.
16Self-Evaluation
- Prediction
- Sharing of observed rates of praise.
- Examples of effective praise.
- Training
- Goal setting.
17Total Praise
18Total OTR
19Students Correct Responses
20Academic Characteristics of Students with EBD
- Relationship between behavioral problems and
academic underachievement has been well
documented in research literature - Prognosis for students who have both behavioral
and learning problems is extremely poor they
experience school failure and drop out of school
at much higher rates than any other disability
group
21Ineffective Classrooms As a Cause of Antisocial
Behavior
- Academic failure leads to little reinforcement
for students. - School begins to take on aversive properties.
- Increase in negative behavior.
- Students influence teacher instructional behavior
- If this cycle continues, may lead to more
delinquent acts and school failure or dropout. - With increased academic standards, an increasing
number of children who are at-risk for academic
problems may show problem behavior.
22- Overemphasis on behavior control
- Teacher reliance on ineffective strategies
- Inadequate teacher preparation and support
- Lack of an effective on academic instruction
23Conclusions from Classroom Interactions Research
- It seems clear that children with
emotional/behavioral disorders actively influence
the behavior of adults in classrooms. - Yet, when appropriate adult instructional
patterns are observed, students seem to engage in
higher levels of engagement and lower levels of
inappropriate behavior. - An unanswered question is what levels of support
are needed to maintain good teaching when
working with students who display
emotional/behavioral disorders.
24Keys to Effective Support
- Early intervention is key, before behavioral and
academic deficits become too pronounced. - Target both child and adult behavior in order to
promote development and maintenance of new
skills. - Emphasize the importance of addressing both
academic and social behaviors simultaneously. - Provide ongoing support for both teachers and
students. - Increase the frequency of critical teaching
behaviors like praise and opportunities to
respond. - Interventions should be comprehensive.
25Vanderbilt Behavior Research Center
- The purpose of the project is to focus on
assessing the impact of a classroom- and
teacher-focused intervention. More specifically,
using research sites across three states, random
assignment of participants, and multiple
behavioral and academic measures, we will assess
the impact of an empirically-valid classroom
management program supplemented with teacher
self-evaluation, a group contingency
reinforcement system, and academic tutoring on
the social and academic performance of students
identified as having emotional and behavioral
disorders.
26Intervention Components
- Classroom Organization and Management Program
(COMP) - Teacher Self-Monitoring
- Good Behavior Game
- 3-5 hours of behavior consultant in classrooms
each week. - Reading tutoring 3 times per week
27Vanderbilt Behavior Research Center
- Vanderbilt University
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- University of Minnesota
28Participants
- 90 elementary and special education classrooms.
- 217 elementary age students
- 67 1st graders
- 81 2nd graders
- 69 3rd graders
- 83 students identified as at-risk
- 134 students receiving special education students
for behavior problems (e.g. emotional
disturbance, learning disabilities, mild mental
retardation)
29VBRC
- Intervention is designed to last 12 months
- Assessment will take place at 5 time points plus
a 1 year follow-up. - Data will include evaluation of intervention for
sample as a whole as well as special education
classrooms versus general education classrooms.