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EMOTIONAL IMPAIRMENTS
A Collection of Experiences Regarding Emotional Impairments
Chloe Werkema
How would you feel if you were unable to relate emotionally to your peers,
educators, or family members? What would it be like to always feel unhappy or
depressed? It is important to contemplate these ideas in order to create a sense of
empathy for people with emotional impairments. The first step of knowing more
about emotional impairments is to properly define the term using definitions

provided by governmental agencies. In order to bring written definitions to life, it is

crucial to hear the stories of individuals who have emotional impairments, or visit
organizations that help those with emotional impairments. It was my privilege to
have the opportunity to visit Sheldon Pines School. Sheldon Pines School is designed
to provide the Special Education programs and related services needed to
appropriately serve severely emotionally impaired students. After my experience at
Sheldon Pines, I was able to process my reactions and ask questions. Most
importantly, I was able to apply this knowledge to my life in order to see how it will
impact my future career as a child psychologist. Also, it was neat to learn about how
our world accommodates people with emotional impairments through assistive
technologies. Above all, with proper guidance, people with emotional impairments
are able to live normal lives. It is extremely important for the general public to be
educated about emotional impairments in order to create a world where people
with or without emotional impairments feel comfortable in all situations.
According to the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), an
emotional disturbance is a condition in which a student exhibits an inability to learn

EMOTIONAL IMPAIRMENTS

that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors, an inability to

build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers,
inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances, a general
pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression, and/or a tendency to develop
physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems (Michigan
Department Of Education). In order for a student to qualify as having an emotional
disturbance under IDEA 2004, he or she must exhibit one or more of the previous
characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree (Powell). The
emotional impairment must adversely affect a childs educational performance in
order to qualify under IDEA 2004 (Powell). The term does not apply to children who
are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional
disturbance. A socially maladjusted student engages in violence, truancy, substance
abuse, and/or has problems with authority figures (Powell).
In order for a student to be identified as having an emotional disturbance,
Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team (MET) members must put together a report.
Multidisciplinary Evaluation Teams always include a psychologist as well as other
professionals (Powell, S., & Driver, M. K. (2013). In the case of an emotional
disturbance, a MET may include a school psychologist, a special educator, and a
school principle (Powell, S., & Driver, M. K. (2013). A school psychologist could
provide the provision of specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of
students with emotional disturbances while a special educator could interpret the
instructional implications of evaluation results (Powell, S., & Driver, M. K. (2013).

EMOTIONAL IMPAIRMENTS
I was privileged with the opportunity to visit Sheldon Pines School and hear
from Jennifer Field and Lucy Evans. Jennifer is the administrator at Sheldon Pines;
she is the Director of Juvenile Services. As a graduate of Hope College, she received
her degree in Emotional Impairments, Learning Disabilities, Spanish, and Special
Education. She has had previous job experience as a behavior specialist in a selfcontained classroom. Also, she oversaw the education program at a juvenile
detention center. The staff at Sheldon Pines School consists of five classroom
teachers, five teacher assistants, three detention supervisors, one school social
worker, and
one school
secretary.
Behavioral
specialists
employed by
the Ottawa Area

Sheldon Pines School Enrollment by Grade

Intermediate
School District also work at Sheldon Pines. The student population at Sheldon Pines
School consists of thirty-eight students with severe emotional and/or behavioral
issues. It is a K-12 program. The entrance process for Sheldon Pines has one clear
goal; it is to provide the Least Restrictive Environment for students. Districts will
work with students and families to make a proposal to a child study team, which
usually includes a social worker, therapist, and teacher.
After Lucy Evans presentation, I was extremely intrigued. She was

EMOTIONAL IMPAIRMENTS
interesting to listen to. I appreciated her sense of humor as well as her thoughtprovoking view of emotional impairments. She challenged me to think outside the
box about my interactions with students who have emotional impairments. I was
captivated by the stories of individual students she has worked with. Since I
previously did not know much about emotional impairments, I was curious about
how the behavior management system at Sheldon Pines worked. Lucy informed us
that they employ a school-wide plan supplemented by individualized behavior
intervention plans (BIPS). They use a fivetier level system, daily point sheets, and
transitional exit opportunities. She
answered my question by describing her
beliefs about intervention. Lucy Evans

believes that discipline cannot be personal;

it must be solely about behavior. She
advised us to acknowledge the student as a
Sheldon Pines School Profile

person, prior to correcting their behavior.

If a teacher looses his or her temper with a

student, the student will associate the teachers anger with the punishment, rather
than their own actions that originally caused the conflict. Standards and
expectations hold the line. Therefore, a student will not feel as though the educator
dislikes him or her if the educator holds the student accountable to pre-set
standards. Interestingly, in-house detention at Sheldon Pines is a neutral
environment. Students are able to voluntarily go to in-house if they need a break.

EMOTIONAL IMPAIRMENTS

This idea gives students the power to walk away from emotional triggers.
My final and most important question for Lucy Evans was about the futures
of the students who went through the Sheldon Pines program. She informed us that
the futures of students with emotional impairments could include unemployment or
incarceration. Even though it is expensive to educate students with special needs, it
is necessary. Students who do not receive the proper education through their Least
Restrictive Environments could end up unemployed or in jail, which would
eventually cost the government more money. Sheldon Pines School creates a sense
of hope. Lucy finished her presentation with a story of a student who graduated
from Sheldon Pines School about eight years ago. Now, he lives a happy life with his
wife and children. He is employed and financially stable. Sheldon Pines School
enabled him to thrive in his Least Restrictive Environment.
As a future child psychologist, this information is very important to me. I may
encounter children who have emotional impairments or children who are related to
people with emotional impairments. It is important for my perspective on emotional
disturbances to be broadened because I will need to know about how emotional
impairments can affect the daily lives of individuals. As a Multidisciplinary
Evaluation Team (MET) member, it will be my job to assess how an emotional
disturbance may affect a specific childs academic success (Powell, S., & Driver, M. K.
(2013). Also, outside of my career, this information still remains crucial. I may come
in to contact with more people who have emotional impairments. It is possible that
my future friends or family members could have emotional disturbances or

EMOTIONAL IMPAIRMENTS
behavior disorders. I believe that the most important life skill is to be able to
properly interact with people from all walks of life. Now that I am better educated
about emotional impairments, I will feel more confident when I come in to contact
with a person who is emotionally impaired. Also, I will be able to better assist
people with emotional impairments by using my newfound knowledge.

It is important to be familiar with different services available in order to help

people with emotional impairments. There are multiple assistive technologies that
can be used to help students with

Talk Light monitors noise level in the classroom.

emotional disturbances. Talk Light is

an automated traffic light that
monitors the noise level in school
settings. It was designed for noise
management in the classroom (Talk
Light Inc.). If a student is getting
upset or excited, the stoplight could
help them monitor their behavior through checking their noise level. If an upset
child were screaming, the traffic light would be red. The teacher could then ask the
child to lower their voice to green. This would help the child understand the
instruction and begin to calm down. Funmaths GameStation provides educational
arcade games that can be used as a positive reinforcement, allowing students to
work on positive behavior. This is an interactive and exciting program that
motivates students (Funmaths). Social Skills Builder is a free application for the
IPod. It enables students to build problem-solving skills through critical thinking. It

EMOTIONAL IMPAIRMENTS

focuses on emotions and consequences. This application was specifically created for
students with emotional impairments. These three assistive technologies make life
easier for people with emotional impairments (Powell, S., & Driver, M. K. (2013).
In order to bring the definitions of visual impairments to life, it is important
to interact with people who have visual impairments. Lucy Evans was able to
further explain how Sheldon Pines School assists students with emotional
impairments. She informed us of tangible ways to manage behavior in the classroom
setting. As a future child psychologist, it is important for me to be educated about
emotional impairments because I may be the member of a MET. It would be my
responsibility to see how an emotional disturbance may affect a childs academic
success. Today, there are many assistive technologies that help people with
emotional impairments live happy and healthy lives. It is important for everyone to
be better educated about emotional impairments because at one time or another,
every person will come into contact with a person who has an emotional
impairment. The only way to avoid ignorance is through learning. It is important for
everyone to learn more about our world and the people in in, including the people
with emotional disturbances.

EMOTIONAL IMPAIRMENTS
References
Funmaths GameStation. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.funmaths.com/games_puzzles/funmaths_gamestation.htm
Michigan Department Of Education, Office Of Special Education. (2013). Michigan
Administrative Rules for Special Education (MARSE). Supplemented With
Selected IDEA Federal Regulations. Retrieved September 10, 2013, from

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/MARSE_Supplemented_with_ID
EA_Regs_379598_7.pdf
Powell, S., & Driver, M. K. (2013). Working with Exceptional Students: An Introduction
to Special Education. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education
Talk Light Inc. Products and Services. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.talklight.ws/