Maggie Lewandoski Lindsey Griffiths

Definition Emotional impairment is determined through the manifestation of behavioral problems over an extended period of time, which adversely affect the person’s education. The behavioral problems may exhibit one or more of the following characteristics:  Inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships within the school environment  Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances  General pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression  Tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems

The 5 Major Expressions of EI An individual may identify with any one or all of the following traits:  Inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships in school. Withdrawal from social interactions, shorter attention span than peers, physical withdrawal from groups, aggression toward others (fighting, bullying)  Inappropriate behaviors and or feelings under normal circumstances. Temper tantrums, inappropriate or excessive crying, extreme anger, unpredictable outbursts, self-inflicted injuries or self harming behaviors, hyper activity  General mood of unhappiness or depression. Negative world view, low self-esteem, excessive crying, physical symptoms of depression (aches, tiredness)  Tendency to develop physical symptoms (stomach ache, headache, etc.) when faced with fears as they relate to school and personal issues. Complaints of illness, faking illness, making excuses to “get out of’ situations  An emotional state that impedes the student from reaching their academic potential or fully participating in the learning environment. Misses school due to depression, illness, fear, or anxiety; frequently cannot participate in academic activities, has difficulty competing tasks and assignments

Diagnosis  Observational records are very important in the assessment and identification of an emotional impairment.  Behaviors are often evaluated by the following 4 criteria: 1. frequency (how often the behavior occurs) 2. duration (how long the incident lasts) 3. setting (time, place, situation) 4. intensity (the severity of the behavior)

Misconceptions in Diagnosis Emotional Impairment (EI) can be confused with social maladjustment (SM). Both present themselves through the same behavior patterns. Key difference: Who is in control of the behavior? The student: the student plans and is in control of all actions and behavior. The body: the student is unable to control the behavior and is reacting to the situation or attempting to control an internal mood/ feeling. When the action is planned the student is socially maladjusted not EI, however in rare cases a student can be both EI and SM.

What this Means as a General Education Classroom Teacher:  Students with emotional impairments will be most easily identified through the behaviors they exhibit.  Observation over time is very important if you suspect a student may be struggling with an emotional impairment. Be sure to check if environmental factors could have caused the emotional or behavioral change, such as a divorce or death in the family, before assuming an emotional impairment is the cause.  Other students will often notice and react to the student differently than other peers.  The student may have difficulty performing academically on a daily basis, despite assessment results.  The student may need extra support socially more often then academically.

Accommodations Programs for students with EI are most likely to succeed if they:  are highly structured with predictable expectations and consequences  include rewards for appropriate behaviors (can include tokens, positive reinforcement, breaks, etc.)  complete a structured rubric, or assessment, for all behavior based rewards prior to the reward being given (there is proof that the student earned the reward)  the basis for assessment is behavior oriented and can include learning activities, but should not evaluate the quality of work completed (only the fact that the work was done at the same time as the class, and the students behavior was appropriate)  do not change the curriculum expectations for the student’s learning, but can include modifications for final products of lessons or units (e.g. there may be fewer sections in a project, as long as the essence of the project is completed)

Examples  1) In a location outside of the classroom and the hallway: Break – Review point sheet with student. (Student evaluates himself using rubric and circles behaviors on point sheet rubric.)  2) Staff member discusses the rubric with student and provides praise for positive choices or discusses an improvement plan for next time.  3) Student takes a 10 minute break according to level of points earned.

Examples  9-10 points = computer break  7-8 points = work on an art project  5-6 points = play a game  0-4 points = read in a bean bag

Examples

Examples 10 Minute Break:

Resources  a site with links to additional resources supporting EI and behavioral disorders  - definition of EI and specific Michigan Special Education Eligibility  maladjustment-versus-emotional-behavioral-disorder.html maladjustment-versus-emotional-behavioral-disorder.html - explains the differences between social maladjustment and EI  nal_Disturbance&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=37&Con tentID= nal_Disturbance&Template=/TaggedPage/TaggedPageDisplay.cfm&TPLID=37&Con tentID= Council for Exceptional Children page on ED and Behavioral Disorders  adm_forms/forms_manuals/evaluation_eligibility/EI_Guidelines.pdf adm_forms/forms_manuals/evaluation_eligibility/EI_Guidelines.pdf Outlines in detail the MI guidelines, from a MI school district  Michigan Alliance For Families is a non-profit that provides information and support on a wide range of disabilities to families and educators across Michigan.  The Michigan Association of Teachers of Children with Emotional Impairments (MATCEI) The website is basic, however they produce newsletters, sponser PD training, and hold an annual conference on EI and education.