Emotional/Behavior Disorders

Jazmin Bybee
Krystalyn Sloan
Amber Jones

Disorders:
Tic Disorders, Schizophrenia, Elimination Disorders, Eating Disorders, Anxiety, ADD,
OCD, BDD, ODD, CD

Tic Disorder
Definition: Tic disorder is movement or vocalizations that are involuntary rapid and recurrent
over time.

Symptoms:

Eye blinking

Facial gestures
Sniffing
Snorting
Certain repeat of word or sound

Statistics:

Symptoms will appear before age 18

It can affect people in any ethnic group
Males are 75% more likely to get it than females

Accommodations:
It is important to remember that tics worsen in stressful situations. When they are relaxed or
focused on an activity they like, their tics decrease. Have a cue that both you and the student
know if they need to leave the classroom. Find a place where they can go or know where they are
going if this happens.
First day of School: (knowing you have permission from the family and the student with tic
disorder feels comfortable)
Introduce the student to the class
The student can describe their condition to the class
Explain that the tics will happen and that the student cant help it
Do not encourage to hold the tics in because it will only make it worst
Make sure the class understand that just because the student swears doesnt mean they are
allowed to or copy what there tic is.

In the Classroom:
Use as few words as necessary
Check for understanding
Have a syllabus
Write the due date at the top of assignments
Highlight/ use color coding/ be organized
Simple classroom rules and always enforce them
Use phrases like this is important and listen carefully
Avoid visual distractions
Do not sit them near a window or door and use a seating chart
Keep the area around them clean and simple
Provide a written schedule to have on their desk
If ever in a line, have them be first
If a transition is coming make sure you give them ample warning. Establishing a daily routine
and remaining consistent will allow them to be relaxed. Teaching them organization and selfmanagement skills will help. While taking a test or turning in homework allow them to have
extra time if needed and allow them to answer the questions orally or reading the test to them can
be beneficial. Timed tests should be avoided and allow them to retake the test if necessary. You
can also grade on effort and individual improvement. With giving homework reduce their

amount of work by having the student do the even numbers or half the problems and allow extra
time if needed. Allow movement breaks during a test or other stressful situation.

Behaviors:
Sit the student with Tics next to a responsible student to limit distractions
Provide modifications for behaviors. (e.g. foam on desk or tennis ball on chair legs)
Have a signal for the student to let them know their behavior is unacceptable
Ignore behaviors that give little distraction
Reward them for good behavior
Handwriting can be a problem so minimize writing for homework. You can allow the student to
copy another students notes at home or provide a printout of what is written on the board. When
watching a moving providing a printed outline will help and if possible allow a computer for that
student to write notes.

Math:

Allow the use of a calculator

Have a table of math facts
Break story problems into shorter segments
Use graph or notebook paper turned sideways to keep work in columns

Reading:
Allow them to sit comfortably
Use bookmark to follow along
Read questions first before reading the story
Use headphones to block out noise
Have them read into a tape recorder so you can check their improvement

Schizophrenia
Definition:
Mental disorder involving a breakdown in the relation between thought, emotion, and behavior.
It leads to wrong perception, inappropriate actions and feelings, withdrawal from reality and
personal relationships, and delusions.

Symptoms:

Delusions
Hallucinations
Irrational behavior
Bizarre thoughts and ideas
Severe anxiety and fears
Cant maintain relationships

Statistics:

Less than 1 in 10,000 has this illness

It affects about 1% of the population
Early medical and educational treatments and interventions is important

Accommodations:
In school they may have trouble concentrating or paying attention. Their behavior and
performance will change from day to day. They may have issues with thinking problems, acting
out, and withdrawing themselves. They may show little to no emotional reaction and their
emotional responses may be inappropriate. As a teacher it is important to get a lot of background
information about this disorder and the symptoms about this particular student so you can create
a better learning environment.

In the Classroom:
Reduce stress
Go slowly especially with new things
Set realistic goals for their achievement in school
Establish meetings with the parents and medical professionals for feedback on their
health and progress
Encourage other students to be kind and to be their friend

Elimination Disorders
Definition: Two types of elimination disorders: Encopresis and enuresis
Encopresis: the repeated passing of feces into places other than the toilet. This behavior may or
may not be done on purpose.
Enuresis: the repeated passing of urine in places other than the toilet. When this happens at night
it is commonly known as bed wetting, which is the most common type of elimination disorder.

Symptoms:

Loss of appetite
Abdominal pain
Loose bowel movements
Scratching or rubbing the anal area
Decreased interest in physical activity
Withdrawal from friends and family
Secretive behavior with bowel movements

Statistics:

1.5% - 10% of children have encopresis

It is more common in boys than girls

Accommodations: The child may be at risk for emotional and social problems related to this
condition. They could develop self-esteem problems, depression, and do poorly in school. Notice
if they are having troubles eating or going to the bathroom. Try and do the best you can to
prevent constipation.

Anxiety
Symptoms:
Irritability/ tiredness
Absenteeism
Frequent somatic complaints
Decline of grades

Withdrawal from peer group

Poor coping with everyday stress
Calling home frequently
Angry outbursts/suicidal ideation
Accommodations: Encourage them to take one step at a time and accomplish what is needed.
Reward them often when they do something good.

Classroom:
Teach positive coping skills
Allow students to have a coping skill such as going out of the classroom, having a stress
ball, or putting on soothing music
Praise their efforts and their accomplishments

Teach them to visualize success

Possibly teach them to focus on a possible object or sound to help them lessen their
anxiety
Model positive ways to manage anxiety

Depression and Irritable moods

Symptoms:

Depressed mood more than 2 weeks

Loss of interest in activities
Changes in appetite or weight
Sleeping in class or skipping school
Decreased energy or physical activity
Feelings of worthlessness
Difficulty learning, making decisions, doing assignments
Negative thoughts of oneself, low self-esteem
Possible thoughts of suicide
Tiredness

Classroom:

Give children more time to work on assignments

Offer frequent help or guidance
Pair students up with others so they can receive peer help
Have fun activities in class
Make the child feel accepted
Do not use harsh punishment, or sarcasm
Consult with counselor or psychologist if needed
Provide students a self- time out to take a break
Teach the student how to be positive and how to handle frustration or sadness
Help build their self-esteem, reward them when they do well

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD):

Statistics :

Around two to five per cent of children are thought to have attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Boys outnumber girls 3:1

Characteristics :

Inattention difficulty concentrating, forgetting instructions, moving from one

task to another without completing anything.

Impulsivity talking over the top of others, having a short fuse, being
accident-prone.
Over activity constant restlessness and fidgeting.
Some children have extremely difficult and challenging behaviors that are outside the
norm for their age.

These problems can result from temporary stressors in the childs life, or they might represent
more enduring disorders.

Other Disorders include:

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)

Conduct disorder (CD)

Treatment options include parent management training, cognitive behavior therapy, medication
and treatment for associated problems.

In the Classroom:

Be consistent
Set limits and have clear consequences for your child's behavior
Put together a daily routine for your child with clear expectations.
Avoid multitasking talking with the child
Make eye contact when giving instructions
Praise the child as often as possible.
Work with parents and caregivers to identify problems early to try and decrease the
impact of the condition on your child's life.
Ignore minor mutterings
Ask them to run a simple errand or do a task for you.

Give them special assignments i.e. Door holder, or whiteboard cleaner.

Accommodations:

Provide exercise ball or fidget toys, allow the student to daydream if needed for 5-10 minutes
after completing an assignment. Involve the child in the problem-solving process: How can we
solve the problem of Identify learning problems the child might have. Match the difficulty of
an assignment with the skill level of the student. Sympathize Maybe you can help me
understand some things. I think you would like to do well in school. Yet you seem to be avoiding
your schoolwork. You must have a good reason. Lets talk.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): As children with attention or behavior

difficulties progress into adolescence, these symptoms can often become intertwined with
academic failure, learning problems, organizational skills difficulties, family conflict, or

other psychiatric issues. Utilizing cognitive-behavioral interventions, our clinicians work

with teenagers to increase their awareness of and ability to manage their symptoms, and
improve their interaction with both parents and teachers.

Organizational Skills Training: Research shows that organizational skills are a

common area of difficulty for students across all grade levels, and these deficits can have a
significant impact on academic motivation and performance. Organizational skills training
focuses on building organizational competencies that include the ability to keep track of
assignments, effective time management, sustaining motivation, and breaking down
challenging assignments into more manageable pieces. These interventions are informed by
the most up-to-date research. They include roles for parents and teachers to help reinforce
practice of skills, and they can be effectively tailored to elementary, middle, and high school
students.
School interventions

Late to class:

Ignore it if the student is only one or two minutes late and if lateness occurs rarely.
A raised eyebrow or a statement of expectations may be more effective than sending the
student to the office (This is the first time youve been late. I expect you to be on time
from now on).
Review the students routine between classes. He may be going to his locker too often.

BLURTING OUT IN CLASS:

If the child takes medication, talk with his parents about making sure he doesnt miss a
dose (medication is helpful for blurting out).
Give a child an alternative behavior to blurting have her raise her hand, and be sure to
call on her immediately to reinforce it.
Give the student a special pad for writing down her comment, and discuss it later with
them
Helping kids who distract easily involves physical placement, increased movement, and
breaking long work into shorter chunks

Seat the child with ADD/ADHD away from doors and windows. Put pets in another room
or a corner while the student is working. Alternate seated activities with those that allow
the child to move his or her body around the room. Whenever possible, incorporate
physical movement into lessons.
Write important information down where the child can easily read and reference it.
Remind the student where the information can be found.
Divide big assignments into smaller ones, and allow children frequent breaks.

Children with ADD/ADHD may act before thinking, creating difficult social situations in
addition to problems in the classroom. Kids who have trouble with impulse control may come off
as aggressive or unruly. This is perhaps the most disruptive symptom of ADD/ADHD,
particularly at school.

Methods for managing impulsivity:

Include behavior plans, immediate discipline for infractions, and ways to give children with
ADD/ADHD a sense of control over their day.

Make sure a written behavior plan is near the student. You can even tape it to the wall or the
childs desk.
Give consequences immediately following misbehavior. Be specific in your explanation, making
sure the child knows how they misbehaved.
Recognize good behavior out loud. Be specific in your praise, making sure the child knows what
they did right.

Write the schedule for the day on the board or on a piece of paper and cross off each item
as it is completed. Children with impulse problems may gain a sense of control and feel
calmer when they know what to expect.

Fidgeting and hyperactivity:

Strategies for combating hyperactivity consist of creative ways to allow the child with
ADD/ADHD to move in appropriate ways at appropriate times. Releasing energy this way may
make it easier for the child to keep his or her body calmer during work time.
Ask children with ADD/ADHD to run an errand or do a task for you, even if it just means
walking across the room to sharpen pencils or put dishes away.

Encourage the child to play a sportor at least run around before and after school. .Make sure a
child with ADD/ADHD never misses recess or P.E

More in the classroom:

Helping children with ADD/ADHD follow directions means taking measures to break down and
reinforce the steps involved in your instructions, and redirecting when necessary. Try being
extremely brief when giving directions, allowing the child to do one step and then come back to
find out what they should do next. If the child gets off track, give a calm reminder, redirecting in
a calm but firm voice. Whenever possible, write directions down in a bold marker or in colored
chalk on a blackboard.

Work Cited:
Holtz, Rachel. Teaching Students with Tourettes Syndrome.
http://www.cedu.niu.edu/~shumow/itt/Tourette's%20Syndrome.pdf
Minnesota association for Childrens Mental Health. Childrens Mental Health Fact Sheet for
the classroom. Schizophrenia.
http://www.articlesforeducators.com/article.asp?aid=93#.VhMq8v3ltD8
Gasparovich, L. (2008). Positive Behavior Support: Learning to Prevent or Manage Anxiety in
the School Setting. Retrieved October 8, 2015, from
http://www.sbbh.pitt.edu/files/other/Anxiety_LNG_newsletter.pdf
Bagnell, A. (2012, July 11). Dealing with Anxiety in the Classroom. Retrieved October 8, 2015,
from http://www.slideshare.net/teenmentalhealth/dealing-with-anxiety-in-the-classroom
Depression Center: Symptoms, Causes, Medications, and Therapies. (n.d.). Retrieved October 8,
2015.
http://www.webmd.com/depression/default.htm
Huberty, T. (2004). DEPRESSION: HELPING STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM. Retrieved
October 8, 2015, from
http://www.nasponline.org/communications/spawareness/depressclass_ho.pdf
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/add-adhd/attention-deficit-disorder-adhd-and-school.htm

http://epublications.regis.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1039&context=theses
http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/
http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/11577.html
(http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/childhood-adhd/preventing-adhd )
http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/childhood-adhd/preventing-adhd?page=2
http://www.childmind.org/en/clinics/centers/adhd-and-disruptive-behavior-disorders-center
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/emotionalproblems/Pages/Disruptive-Behavior-Disorders.aspx )