A Programmatic Approach To Supporting Students Requiring Emotional Support IDEA Identification, Assessments, Monitoring, and Partnerships

Emotional Disturbance Defined The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, commonly referred to as IDEA, defines emotional disturbance as follows: “a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child’s educational performance: A. An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors. B.An inability to learn that build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.

Emotional Disturbance Defined  Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal conditions.  A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression  A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems. “As defined by IDEA, emotional disturbance includes schizophrenia but does not apply to children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance.

Identification The accurate identification of students with an emotional disturbance requires A School wide Positive Behavior Support Model in place at the school level, referred commonly as SWPBS. Schools utilizing SWPBS utilize a framework with Response to Intervention (RTII) that relies upon research-based interventions, monitoring of progress, and the analytic analysis of results from a compilation of assessments

SWPBS Model for Intervention SWPBS implemented effectively represents a screening tool of ALL students to identify the target population of students with academic and behavioral needs. SWPBS is based upon a three-tiered model.

TIER I Tier I is referred to as the UNIVERSAL TIER Foundation level System of supports provided to all students Expectations for ALL students are clear Rules, routines, and physical arrangement explicit Behaviors are taught Consistent policy enforced by administration

TIER 2 Tier 2 is referred to as the SECONDARY TIER Interventions target students “at risk” (5-10% of students) Increased cues and prompts are provided to follow expectations outlined/addressed at Tier I Increased instructional practices and explicit teaching of behavioral expectations

TIER 3 Tier 3 is referred to as the TERTIARY TIER Tier 3 interventions target 1-5% of the student population with challenging behaviors Students requires individualized assessment plans in the formation of a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) to provide support to chronic behavior Behavioral interventions require individualized planning, monitoring of goals, and development of Positive Behavior Support Plans (PBSP)

The TIER 3 Student The education of students with emotional disturbance must be based on supports provided in the Least Restrictive Environment The development of a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)and Positive Support Plan (PBSP) will target the interventions utilized to promote optimal learning (Subsequent Learning Provided in Accompanying Presentations, Behavior Progress, Module 1, 2, and 3)

Effective Emotional Support Programs Students in need of a more restrictive environment outside the general education setting require teachers and environments with clear implementation of classroom management principles The Effective Classroom and the Effective Teacher will implement strategies, monitor progress, and maintain rigor in academic presentation of instructional level content

The Effective Classroom Clearly defined expectations that are classroom and student specific Expectations are limited in number to promote generalization throughout the classroom Expectations are stated in the positive Expectations are discretely taught to determine success and understanding Expectations are based upon systems of reinforcement to determine success and follow-through by all students

The Effective Classroom Visible routines are in place, understood, and reinforced daily. Students can clearly communicate the routines/procedures for specific academic and behavioral expectations Directions and rules are stated in the positive they teach and inform students what to do They provide instruction for how to perform those routines that are not exhibited by the students

The Effective Classroom Scheduling can be an essential component of the successfulness of a program Detailed schedules allow for students to visually and mentally organize their school day Scheduling allows for optimal learning by preparing for instructional models aligned to students’ needs (small group, whole class, individualized) Scheduling allows for planning effectively for transitions Support students by signaling start and end of expectations

The Effective Classroom Attention given to the physical arrangement Consideration for presentation of content, arrangement of furniture, access to resources, assignment of seating, organizational structures Promote optimal learning by addressing individualized specially designed instruction for students (SDI’s).

The Effective Teacher Establishes, teaches, and assesses expectations of appropriate behavior Uses observational data to determine intervention plan to increase positive behavior Implements results of Reinforcement Surveys to determine likelihood of reoccurrence of challenging behaviors Possesses sensitivity to individualized needs of students while maintaining a structure, routine, and system of organization in the classroom to monitor ALL students

The Effective Teacher Implements, Monitors, and Reports progress on both academic and behavior goals Implements Academic and Behavior Research-Based Interventions Academic interventions determined at the school level, (ie, Corrective Reading, Corrective Math, Achieve 3000, Lexia, Reading Mastery) Behavioral Interventions Can be accessed through AIMSWeb Behavior (professional development offered ) Determines alternative behaviors that can be implemented

Quality Program Checklist An observational tool to determine systems are in place Can be used long term to determine overall progress and effectiveness of an emotional support program Can be self-reflective to determine individual teaching needs Provides immediate feedback to assess the structural arrangement and academic and behavioral expectations for all students

Connections with Behavioral Health Services Children with emotional and behavioral may often need additional supports to promote their social/emotional functioning in the home and school. Supports can be coordinated through a level of services, depending on the individual needs of the students.

Treatment Plans and Behavior Plans Students receiving Coordinating Services often have treatment plans and school teams should be consulted in the development of such plans. Similarly, school teams should invite Behavioral health service providers to IEP team meetings when developing Positive Behavior Support Plans While these plans are two separate plans, and PBSP’s are mandated in the development of IEP’s for students with ED, they should be committed to the same goals.

Coordination at the School Level Referrals for students with problematic behaviors can be coordinated at the school level, accessing the counselor and/or resource specialist. While coordinator or service initiates with the parent, school teams can be key team members in supporting the delivery and navigation of such services. School teams need to become partners with parents to support the total development of the student

Interagency Linkage When students with emotional needs engage in behaviors that are impacting all aspects of both social and academic development, interagency meetings can help identify those supports that will help the student School teams are responsible for reporting on the academic and behavioral expectations impacting educational success School teams collaborate with agencies to support a continuum of services

The Supported Student Students who are provided with the optimal level of supports, coping strategies, and effective, research- based interventions can be taught appropriate behavioral expectations When we are committed to instruction in the Least Restrictive Environment utilizing a team approach to support behavior, we are increasing the success for that student.