SPED 504MM:
Theoretical and Empirical Bases of Education for
Learners with Mild/Moderate Disabilities

Social & Emotional Behavior



Please consider the following information, as well as chapter
5 in the text, before completing the assignment.  

Other Terms You May See

*Emotionally disturbed (ED)
	
*Socially and emotionally disabled (SED)

*Severely emotionally disturbed (SED)

*Emotionally handicapped (EH)

*Emotional or behavioral disorder
   This term is supported by CEC's Council for 
   Children with Behavioral Disorders [CCBD] 
   and the Coalition on Mental Health because
   it includes emotional and behavioral aspects 
   (i.e., behavioral disorders (BD) describes the 
   population rather than presuming causation



Federal Definition - P.L. 94-142, Section 121.a.5

   *The term means a condition exhibiting one or 
more of the following characteristics over a 
long period of time and to a marked degree, 
which adversely affects educational performance.

   1. An inability to learn which cannot be 				
      explained by intellectual, sensory, or health 
      factors
   2. Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings 
      under normal circumstances
   3. A general, pervasive mood of unhappiness 
      or depression
   4. A tendency to develop physical symptoms or 
      fears associated with personal or school 
      problems



Associated IQ - usually above 85



Research Related Characteristics of 
Behavioral Disorders

*trouble attending
*trouble staying on task
*aggressive
*withdrawn
*immature
*fighting
*low self-esteem
*anxious
*socialized delinquent
*impulsivity
*distractibility
*hyperactivity



Social Skills Disabilities

*Some students with learning disabilities 			
  exhibit deficits in social skills
*Inept social skills can affect almost every 			
  aspect of the student's life
*They imply a lack of sensitivity to people, 			
  and poor perception of social situations



Emotional Problems

*Repeated failure and the inability to 				
  achieve and develop a sense of competence 
  and self-worth are indelible
*Psychodynamic development and personality 
  structure have important implications for 
  understanding the emotional consequences of 
  learning disabilities



Behavior Problems of Children with 
Attention Deficit Disorder

*Problems in behavior may occur when 				
  expectations for the child differ in their home 
  or community culture and the school, and the 
  individual is not able to make the transition in 
  exhibiting the expected behavior in these 
  different settings
*These students exhibit persistent and consistent 
  behavioral problems that disrupt their own and 
  others' learning



Motivation Issues

*Motivation is the force that energizes and 
  directs one's drive to accomplish goals
*Learning in school requires persistence and 
  hard work over a long period of time



Behavior Analysis

*Concentrates on observable behavior
*Goal is to make systematic changes in the 
  academic and social learning of students with 
  learning disabilities by modifying environmental 
  events



Assessing Social and Emotional Behaviors

*Assessment is difficult

*Methods include:

   *Observations
   *Rating scales
   *Interviews
   *Student inventories
   *Sociometric techniques



Teaching Strategies

1. Developing social competencies

   *Need conscious effort and specific teaching 
    to learn about the social world, its nuances, 
    and its silent language
   *Body image and self-perception
   *Sensitivity to other people
   *Social maturity
   *Learning strategies and social skills training
   *Social skills programs

2. Building self-esteem and emotional well-being

   *When emotional problems accompany learning 
    failures, the student may be a victim of a 
    continuous cycle of failure to learn and 
    emotional reaction to this failure
   *Teaching should be designed to reverse 			
    this cycle of failure