1. Behavior Disabilities
Kristina Lewis
Bill Coffey

2. What are Behavior Disabilities?
According to IDEA behavioral disorder (BD) is: • An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors • An inability to built or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers • Inappropriate types of behavior of feelings under normal circumstances • A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression • A tendency to develop physical symptoms of fears associated with personal or school problems.

3. General characteristics
Not all individuals with BD exhibit the same characteristics. Many individuals have specific ones.
Some general characteristics could be:
Hyperactive behavior
Distractions
Impulsiveness
Aggression
Tendency to lie
Could set fires
Tendency to steal
Abuse of alcohol and/or drugs

4. General Characteristics Cont.
Immature acts
Tendency to argue
Tendency to have temper tantrums
Tendency to Ignore the teacher
Behavior that highlights feelings of inadequacy
Behavior directed against society in a negative way (juvenile delinquents)
“at risk” individuals who are mired in an incompatibility between themselves and school (result - low academic achievement and/or school drop out)

5. External and Internal Behavior
Behavior Disabilities are grouped into external and internal behaviors.
External:
-attacks against others
-socialized aggression
-physical/verbal abuse
-tantrums
Internal:
-mental or emotional conflicts such as depression and anxiety

6. Sub categories of BD
Oppositional Defiance Disorder - individuals who are suspended or expelled for disobedience or opposition to authority figures. Those students are eligible for services under IDEA. Conducted disorder - attention-seeking behavior, temper tantrums, fighting, disruptiveness, tendency to annoy others Socialized aggression - cooperative stealing, truancy, loyalty to delinquent friends, association with bad company, disrespect for moral values and laws. Attention problems - immaturity, short attention span, sluggishness, poor concentration, distractibility, lethargy, tendency to answer with out thinking.

7. Sub categories of BD Cont..
Anxiety - hypersensitivity, general fearfulness, depression, perpetual sadness, self consciousness.
Psychotic behavior- insinuates saying things over and over and expressing strange, farfetched ideas.
Motor excess - restlessness and an inability to relax.

8. How many children are affected?
It is very difficult to determine based on the variety of disorders
In 2000 there was 472,000 students at schools with emotional disturbance
It is the 4th largest group of students receiving special education pursuant to IDEA

9. Causes
Biological factors - general anomalies, difficult temperament, brain damage or dysfunction, nutritional deficiencies, physical illness or disability, psycho physiological disorders. Family factors - broken homes, divorce, chaotic or hostile family relationships, absence of father or mother. School factors - insensitivity to students individuality, inappropriate expectations for student, inconsistent management of behavior, instruction in nonfunctional and irrelative skills, destructive contingencies of reinforcement, undesirable models of school conduct. Cultural factors - conflicted cultural values and standards that society has engendered. Lack or multicultural perspective, students peer group, neighborhood, urbanization, ethnicity, social class, substance abuse.

10. Teaching Tips
the emphasis should be on physical conditioning, balance, basic movement, fundamental locomotor and nonlocomotor movements, perceptual -motor movements, because some students with BD demonstrates a lag in physical and motor abilities, also in perceptual -motor activities.
exercise programs exert a positive influence on disruptive behavior. As little as 10-15min of jogging can produce reduction in disruptive behavior
reduce body contact, make simpler rules and use fewer skills to control aggression.
Avoid unsupervised periods of time.

11. Teaching Tips Cont.
provide additional time for students to relax before making a transition from the gym to the classroom.
use active listening. Make sure BD student is listening and understanding directions (eye contact with you while you are giving directions, listening and responding by students showing the results of the directions you just gave).
use verbal meditation, which is verbalization of students behavior and consequences of that behavior.
Minimize the waiting time for activity to begin.
use conflict resolution, which is interpersonal confrontation of destructive behavior.

12. Teaching tips Cont. Promote independence and self-confidence
establish few clear rules and govern expectations.
Eliminate irrelevant stimuli that may cause distraction
Establish eye contact and have the student’s attention when giving instructions.

13. Inclusion
The inclusion of students with BD into regular class should be based
primarily on the frequency and intensity of behavioral episodes.
Inclusion is facilitated much of the time through development and
implementation of a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP). These plans describe
in detail student expectations and consequences if behavioral expectations
are not achieved.
Students who are very disruptive and harmful require a segregated approach.

14. Suggested Activities Use cooperative games to teach social behavior
Group participation in activities is highly desirable because it makes social contacts possible. So team sports like basketball, baseball, soccer would be recommended.
Need detailed, specific instructions
Use activities that provide immediate feedback
Impose limits on use of equipment and facilities

15. Activities to Avoid
-Games to accomplish goals and objectives are not great because students with BD often lack fundamental skills, they frequently are incapable of demonstrating even minimal levels of competence in these games.
Avoid competitive games that prescribes winners and losers or that rewards overly aggressive behavior.
Full participation is expected, do not settle for partial compliance.
Avoid sudden changes in routines or program. Give students ample time to adjust.

16. References Winnick, Joseph P., Adapted Physical Education and Sport
disorder
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