Mainstreaming

Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) is by far the largest category of disability within the Individuals for Disabilities Education Act. Nearly half of all disabled children are labeled in the category of SLD.

The Vocational Rehabilitation Act prevents any private organization that uses federal funds or any local or state organization from discriminating against persons with disabilities solely on the bases of the person’s disability. b. P.L. 93-122 puts the person first and the use of the term “disability” second.

Placement in the Least Restrictive Environment

Separate classroom placements are most prevalent for students with mental retardation (57.0 percent), autism (54.5 percent), and multiple disabilities (44.1 percent), although resource room placements are also commonly used to serve students with mental retardation and multiple disabilities.

Here are five effective strategies you can use to help EBD kids work well in an inclusive classroom.

1. Keep class rules/activities simple and clear.
2. Reward positive behaviors.
3. Allow for mini-breaks.
4. Fair treatment for all.
5. Use motivational strategies.

Emotionally disturbed children have an inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors. They may be unable to develop and keep appropriate, satisfactory social relationships with family, peers, and adults in the school system.

Examples of challenging behaviour include:

• Withdrawn behaviours such as shyness, rocking, staring, anxiety, school phobia, truancy, social isolation or hand flapping.
• Disruptive behaviours such as being out-of-seat, calling out in class, tantrums, swearing, screaming or refusing to follow instructions.

10 Strategies for Dealing with Challenging Behaviour in Your Classroom

1. Turn Negatives into Positives.
2. Teach Positive Behaviour.
3. Model the Behaviour You Expect.
4. Establish a Class Code of Conduct.
5. Communicate Well.
6. Recognise Good Behaviour and Achievements.
7. Proactively Develop Relationships.
8. Have a Quiet Area.

Respond calmly but firmly to an aggressive student. Speak in a firm, no-nonsense manner to stop a student’s aggressive behavior; use physical restraint as a last resort. When responding to the student, pay attention to your verbal as well as non-verbal language. Even if he is yelling at you, stay calm.

Sociability: The desire of your students to interact with others may lead them to misbehave. This may occur due to peer pressure and/or a desire to impress others. With this, students are more interested in their friends such that they will choose to misbehave.

There are four motives for misbehavior: gaining attention, exercising power, exacting revenge, and displaying inadequacy.

Students learn behaviours through the feedback and consequences they receive at home or school. Sometimes feedback or consequences unintentionally reinforce negative behaviours. For example, a teacher responds to a student who frequently calls out in class by giving him more attention, which is what he wants.

In general, the expectations are: Listen to your teacher and follow instructions. If you want to behave better in class, the first place to look for help is your teacher. Listen closely to your teacher’s instructions, when they tell you to be quiet, to start or stop working, to line up, or do anything else.

Family, peers, school and the wider community all impact on student behaviour, and on learning and wellbeing. The way we behave is also influenced by personal characteristics such as age, sex, personality, temperament and mental and physical health.

Bullying, teasing, hitting and name-calling are forms of bad behavior that occur in school. The adjustments to the rules at school and in the classroom environment can trigger inappropriate behavior in children, especially when in an environment with 20 or more students.

These include:

1. Show and tell. Teach children right from wrong with calm words and actions.
2. Set limits. Have clear and consistent rules your children can follow.
3. Give consequences.
4. Hear them out.
5. Give them your attention.
6. Catch them being good.
7. Know when not to respond.
8. Be prepared for trouble.

1. Acting Out in School

1. Don’t Punish Your Child Twice.
2. Don’t Assume Your Child Will Figure Things Out on His Own.
3. Meet with Your Child’s Teacher.
4. Set up More Structure at Home.
5. Be Realistic in Your Goals.
6. Don’t Restrict Your Child from Privileges Until His Grades Improve.
7. Talk to Your Child About What’s Going On.

Prov 23:13-14: “Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell (i.e. death).” Prov 29:15: “The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.”