Students with Disabilities 1 Emotional, Behavioral, and Physical Disabilities Behavioral and emotional disorders are highlighted as the

most frequently occurring forms of psycho-pathology and the most cited reason for referral to mental health hospitals among young adults and children. Presence of children with emotional and behavioral disorders in class leads to severe constrains of the school system to effectively educate students. Statistics reveal that 2 to 6 percent of children in K-12 suffer from behavioral disabilities; while U.S. Department of Education (1995) reports that over five million children from birth to 21 years of age who suffered from behavioral and emotional disorders and other impairments benefited from special education and related services provided in nations schools between 1993 and 1994 school year. Students suffering from emotional and behavioral disorders as well as traumatic brain injury, physical and health impairments have often benefited from an individualized education program that specifies and guides special education services to address individuals unique needs. There is need for teachers to employ effective teaching strategies that deal with students suffering from behavioral and emotional disorders, traumatic brain injury as well as physical and health impairments in order to achieve successful student involvement and maximum benefits of teaching and learning process. Effective Teaching Strategies Students with behavioral and emotional disorders can be assisted to cope with their disorders through teaching strategies such as bringing students attention to science role models that have similar disabilities to that of the student and using the role model to explain how the individual succeeded through combined efforts as well as asking for the help they required. Keller (2007) argues that students with emotional and behavioral disorders as well as physical and health impairments should be exposed to other learners who have appropriate behavior so

Students with Disabilities 2 that they can interact and learn from them. This helps such students to develop social, environmental and cognitive abilities that enable them to cope with challenges facing them. Teachers can use direct instruction strategy when dealing with students that suffer from emotional and behavioral disabilities and liaise with the students to devise contingency plans whereby inappropriate ways of student response are replaced by appropriate ones helps that help the students to adopt proactive approaches aimed at improving their behavior. In addition the teacher should acknowledge contributions of such students during group activities as well as in classroom teaching and learning processes in order to encourage them to actively participate in learning activities. According to Keller (2007) teachers should treat students with behavioral and emotional disorders as well as those suffering from traumatic brain injury and physical and health impairments with respect and consideration to enhance their participation in learning process instead of ignoring them. The teacher can involve such students in learning activities by asking them questions and acknowledging their contributions. The teacher should seek students opinion on their goals, strengths and weaknesses and appropriately give advice to the student on how to achieve their set goals and objectives. Teachers should consistently enforce classroom rules and ensure that discipline is in line with students misconduct without harshness. However, motivating such students through a reward system rather than punishment has often yielded positive results. Keller (2007) argues that putting students with emotional and behavior disorders to be in charge of some activities in classroom or within the school helps to reduce aggressiveness and to nurture their behavior in a positive manner. This is because such responsibilities positively influence behavior change. Students with behavioral and emotional disorders, traumatic brain injury as well as physical and health impairments should be provided

Students with Disabilities 3 with carefully structured learning environment with supportive physical and support features to enhance their participation, the teacher should set objectives for learning activities and provide required assistance to students to achieve the set objectives in those learning activities. Test for Teacher Certification (2009) embraces use of technology to manage learning and teaching environments for students with such disorders. In addition, teachers should use classroom management strategies such as structuring and maintaining consistent daily routines, coordination of learning activities and related services to maximize academic instruction time for students and facilitate their effective use of instructional time. How to Nurture Self-Esteem and Self-Determination and Enhance Self-Advocacy Skills Students self esteem should be monitored and the students should be provided with assistance in required modifications to adapt easily to learning environment, build self advocacy skills and improve on their self determination. Learning environment for students with emotional and physical disorders, traumatic brain injury as well as physical and health impairments should be made conducive through support services, adaptive equipment and support technologies that nurture students self esteem, self determination and enhance self advocacy skills. Test for Teacher Certification (2009) points out that application of innovative teaching methods that meet cognitive, physical, emotional and communication should be put in place for these students in order to nurture their self esteem and self determination and enhance their self advocacy skills. Moreover, teachers providing instruction to these students should be sensitive to students needs and embrace teaching strategies that enhance students health, behavioral, sensory and motor needs. Such students should be supported through inclusion techniques into general education and learning programs that encourage them to be active participants in individual and group activities to avoid discrimination.

Students with Disabilities 4 According to Test for Teacher Certification (2009), strategies and techniques that support and enhance students verbal and non-verbal language and communication skills as well as use of assertive communication equipment and resources should be used to nurture students self esteem and self determination and enhance their self advocacy skills. There should be effective collaborations between student, parents, family members and teachers as well as medical service providers and administrators of related support services to create effective behavior enhancing mechanisms that work for affected students. Moreover, teachers should set up effective procedures that help to determine reliable modes of response for students who have difficulties in communication through speech and establish principles for modification of standardized assessments for students with health impairments as well as use of technology to carry out assessments for students with physical or other health impairments. Helping Students to Understand, Respect and Respond to Students with Disabilities Regular students can be assisted to understand and respect students with disabilities in class by applications of innovative procedures that ensure unbiased informal and formal assessments for students from diverse backgrounds. Irvine (2003) reiterates that the teacher should show confidence in disabled students ability to set realistic goals and plan for success in participation of such students in classroom and school activities. This will enable normal students to respect their counterparts who have disabilities as they learn from examples set by their teachers. Test for Teacher Certification (2009) argues that both learners with disabilities and those without should be introduced to strategies that prepare them to live harmoniously and productively in an environment that is culturally diverse; without discrimination. This can be achieved through inclusion of students with disabilities in co-curriculum school activities such as games, drama and music festivals among other activities.

Students with Disabilities 5 Deiner (1993) emphasizes on importance of developing strategies that assist students with disabilities to become active participants on educational team. Both students with disabilities and those without should be educated on rights of students with disabilities as a basis for mutual understanding and respect between the two groups. Furthermore, the teacher should maintain high professional competence and integrity when dealing with students from both sides during instructional and other professional activities to nurture mutual respect and understanding between the two sets of students. Academic and Behavioral Modifications in Inclusionary and Special Classrooms One of the behavioral modifications that I observed in an inclusion classroom was that the classroom teacher was sensitive to learners with disabilities and often included them in classroom activities. The teacher asked students questions and seemed to acknowledge their contributions stay informed on the warning signs that the students need helper have a problem, students limitations. In addition, a friendly environment had been put in place through classroom sitting arrangements to enable students who are not disabled to assist those with disabilities or disorders to cope. For example, I could see some incidences of students who do not have disabilities copying notes for their friends with disorders or disabilities. In a special classroom, I observed that students who had difficulties in speaking were being assisted by use of alternative methods of presentation instead of oral presentation.

Students with Disabilities 6 References Deiner, P.L. (2nd Ed.). (1993). Resources for teaching children with diverse abilities: Birth Through eight. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Irvine, S. (2003). Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning, Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Keller, E. (2007). Strategies for Teaching Students with Behavioral Disorders. Retrieved, June 26, 2011 from http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/behavior.html Test for Teacher Certification (2009). Physical and Other Health Impairment. Michigan Test for Teacher Certification Study Guide, Retrieved June 24, 2011 from http://www.mttc.nesinc.com/PDFs/MI_field058_SG.pdf U.S. Department of Education. (1995). U.S. Department of Education's Seventeenth Annual Report to Congress. Retrieved June 26, 2011 from http://www2.ed.gov/about/reports/annual/osep/2000/preface.pdf