Smith,+Allen+-+Students+with+Emotional+Disturbances

**Who am I? What am I all about?**
My name is Allen Smith. I'm a naturalist at heart and my biggest source of stress is time spent on a computer... so this wiki thing should be fun. When I am not on the computer, I love being outside--coaching baseball, camping, backpacking, running (only occasionally, when I am feeling particularly motivated), fishing, playing slow-pitch softball (city of Medford champs, yeah!)--I love baseball and I love art. I am inspired by both and participating in any form of these activities brings me great joy.

I pursued both of these passions in college. In 2009, I graduated from Abilene Christian University with a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts. I played four years of college baseball, two at a junior college and two at ACU, plus a fifth year as a coach at ACU. From the experiences I accumulated in baseball over the years, I developed a strong passion for communicating information, knowledge, and skills to others. I also learned alot about commeraderie and teamwork, and what it takes to acheive success within a group dynamic. My experiences in baseball were similar in many ways to my studies in the art department; skills were being practiced and developed within a collaborative working environment. I enjoyed sharing my discoveries with my classmates and in turn learning from their discoveries. I knew I liked teaching.

My career goals are rather humble. I just want to be really good at what I do and have a positive impact on those around me. I want to coach baseball and teach art, simple as that.

I can think back on numerous times in which I have been frustrated in learning experiences. It feels bewildering, overwhelming, lonely, isolating, and of course, frustrating. It is even more frustrating when nobody understands, or tries to help by repeating the same methods that didn't help in the first place. My goal is to be able to offer helpful, effective instruction when students face these kinds of situations and be adaptive in my methods. I hope this class will help me to develop these abilities.

**Research Topic: Students with Emotional Disturbances**


My decision to research students with Emotional Disturbances arose primarily out of curiosity, but also because of several other reasons: Emotional Disturbance (ED), along with other mental health related disorders, is a relatively taboo topic in our culture today. I have a childhood friend who suffers from Schizophrenia, and had another who committed suicide in 2008 due to drug addiction and related mental health issues (The above painting was in response to this event). As I have gotten older, I have become more sensitive to these types of concerns and the seriousness of the consequences when symptoms are ignored and proper accommodations are not implemented. I want to learn more about this kind of disability and how it affects students. My goal is to become more accutely aware of the needs of these students so that I can be a positive factor in their lives.

1/5/2012
 * Here is a related snapshot from my winter placement:**

One particular experience today had a significant impact on me:

There is a student that sits in the back of the class. When I approached him, he was staring at his desk with nothing in front of him except for his binder. I asked him about his binder (its cover was missing) and he shrugged the question off. He seemed disinterested in my attention. The class was working on black and white charcoal portraits. I asked him where his portrait was and he said that it was in his cubbie. However he showed no interest or intent of retrieving it. I asked him if he was going to get it to begin working on it. He said, “No. I don't care anymore. I give up on school." Concerned at this, I did my best to empathize and encourage, but to no avail. The student went on to say, “I will never amount to anything in life, so why even try?” He began to ignore me and detached himself from the conversation. I told him that I was available to talk if he wanted to. A few moments after our conversation, he excused himself from the classroom and sat outside for the remainder of the period. I checked his grades on the computer, and he had an 11%, based primarily on attendance.

The student was obviously depressed, and most likely dealing with other emotional, psychological, and/or self-esteem issues. I reported what I had heard directly to the dean immediately after class. I had the feeling that this particular student was on the verge of suicide. It was heart-breaking to see this student in such an abysmal predicament, and I felt helpless in my inability to “fix” the situation. I followed school protocol and plan on checking back in later to offer support and encouragement and to monitor the student’s outlook and situation.

1. Students with Emotional Disturbance represent 8.2% of all students served under IDEA legislation, or approximately .72% of the total student population. 2. The criteria for classification with Emotional Disturbance, as defined under IDEA: 3. There are many resources available through local organizations that are helpful in meeting the needs of students with Emotional Disturbance, including Community Works, FOCUS class at McLaughlin MS, and JDH. 4. Students with Emotional Disturbance can benefit from positive reinforcement, self-monitoring, adaptations in instruction and evaluation, and perhaps most of all, though hard to quantify, patience and care. 5. The causes of Emotional Disturbance are techically unknown. Possible hypotheses include: diet, heredity, home environment, school environment, mal-treatment by teachers and peers, biological factors, and cultural factors. It seems that although there are no known causes of Emotional Disturbance disorder, there exists a group of negative factors that when combined in various combinations, contribute to the behaviors and other manifestations associated with this disorder.
 * An inability to exhibit appropriate behavior under ordinary circumstances
 * An inability to maintain relationships with peers or teachers
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">An innappropriate affect such as depression or anxiety
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">An innappropriate manifestation of physical symptoms or fears in response to school or personal difficulties (Mastropieri and Scruggs, 2007).

**Top Resource:**
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The top resource I found on Emotional Disturbance was the Dean at my placement school. Reading texts and watching videos can never compare to speaking with real people with experience working in the field. I was able to conduct an interview (apologies in advance for sub-par interviewing skills):

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">media type="file" key="DSCN0003.m4a" width="300" height="50" <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The jist of it is that there are plenty of local supporting organizations and professionals whose purpose is to serve the needs of youth with Emotional Disturbance and other mental health related issues. Namely, Mary Jo Harms, a mental health therapist with Community Works, Meredith Empol in the Resource Classroom at Hedrick, and Bob Jones, teacher of the FOCUS program at McLaughlin MS.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I would highly recommend consulting with other professionals when learning about specific disabilities. The information I gathered was valuable and I also established connections for a future RTI/IEP team.

**Other Resources:**
[]
 * 1. Wagner, Mary and Cameto, Renee. The characteristics, experiences, and outcomes of youth with emotional disturbances. NLTS2 Data Brief. Volume 3, Issue 2. August 2004.**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">“Youth with ED demonstrated a pattern of disconnected­ness from school, academic failure, poor social adjustment, and criminal justice system involvement, although there were positive findings regarding other aspects of their lives, such as employment (Wagner, 1995).” (as cited in Wagner and Cometo, 2004).
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">This concise resource highlights some important aspects of youth with Emotional Disturbances. The National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS) conducted research in the early 1990’s and again in 2004, investigating topics such as student and household characteristics, past experiences with school, secondary school programs, academic and social outcomes, what parents think of school, and life outside the classroom. All sections are accompanied by a graph charting the comparison of youth with ED to their non-disabled peers.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">This concise resource highlights some important aspects of youth with Emotional Disturbances. The National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS) conducted research in the early 1990’s and again in 2004, investigating topics such as student and household characteristics, past experiences with school, secondary school programs, academic and social outcomes, what parents think of school, and life outside the classroom. All sections are accompanied by a graph charting the comparison of youth with ED to their non-disabled peers.

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 * 2. Bullock, Lyndal M. and Gable, Robert A. (March 21, 2006). Programs for children and adolescents with emotional disturbances and behavioral disorders.**



<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">This resource outlines the historical context of education and students with Emotional Disturbances. It identifies primary advancements in legislation in working towards a more inclusive educational experience for students with Emotional Disturbance. It also focuses on two main challenges facing progress in the field: disproportionality and personnel shortages. This is a fantastic resource that provides a comprehensive perspective on this issue. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The final sentence in the conclusion of this article is a motivating criticism of teachers: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">In the rush to fill classrooms with teachers, numerous alternative licensure frameworks, designed to fast track training, have emerged (Rosenberg & Sindelar, 2001). It is unfortunate that many of these fast-track programs fail to produce teachers who possess the prerequisite skills to provide quality instruction to students with E/BD and to ensure positive academic and behavioral outcomes. (Bullock and Gable, 2006) <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Also included, following the conclusion of this article, is an extensive bibliography of related resources on the topic of Emotional Disturbance. This list of resources, by itself, is extremely valuable, compiled by active experts in the field.


 * 3. Mastropieri, Margo A. and Scruggs, Thomas E. (2007). The inclusive classroom: Strategies for effective instruction. 3rd ed. Pearson, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. p. 64-69 **

This resource is also the textbook for our class. Fortunately, it is our textbook for a good reason; it provides valuable, concise information on various student exceptionalities and concrete examples of how to accommodate them. The main nuggets for Emotional Disturbance are on pages 64 – 69.

PDF specifically for accommodating students with Emotional Disturbance: []
 * 4. Web resource: [] .**



The website linked is a library of very helpful resources for teachers looking to learn more about various disabilities served under IDEA and has links to PDFs for specific categories. The second link above is for Emotional Disturbance. See sample page below:


 * 5. Another great resource I found was: []**

The home page of this site has links to all different helpful pages addressing all types of special education needs. It is a supportive educational community for parents so they can advocate on behalf of their child. NAPCSE stands for National Association of Parents with Children in Special Education. This is a great resource that I would highly recommend to anyone working with students with special needs. It does require a login membership.

6. Community Works
[]

* * * *
The following is taken from their web page:

=Education & Residential Treatment Services= //Community Works// provides a nurturing and educational therapeutic environment that promotes personal growth and healing for youth ages 13 to 18 with behavioral and emotional problems and their families. We create safe, structured, positive and consistent opportunities to foster integrity, self-respect and responsible community living. The program includes:
 * Lithia Springs School**, an alternative high school that offers individualized programming for youth with complex needs. These youth of promise pursue various educational options, including obtaining a GED, earning high school credit, or completing a high school diploma through individualized instruction and a low student-teacher ratio. Youth have an opportunity to learn job skills, build their resumes and earn a minimum wage at the on-site Mission Candles factory. The entire Lithia Springs' staff, including residential care providers, mental health therapists, alcohol and drug therapists, caseworkers, and Mission Candles staff meet weekly to coordinate education, behavioral and therapeutic goals for each student.
 * Lithia Springs Residential Care** provides 24-hour supervision, where youth experience a safe, caring, stable, and structured living environment. Our services include individual and group counseling, family treatment and reintegration, and behavioral management. Recreation and social activities, vocational services, and transition/aftercare services are also provided.
 * Lithia Springs Treatment Foster Care** is a program for youth offenders and youth in the child welfare system due to neglect and abuse. These youth are 16 - 18 years old. They are placed in specialized foster homes and attend Lithia Springs School. Our treatment foster care families give youth a chance to succeed by offering support and treatment services using evidence-based strategies to help youth move into the community and create a positive life path.
 * Treatment Services** are offered to all youth as appropriate. These services include individual mental health therapy, addictions counseling, dual diagnosis group therapy, family counseling, and psychiatric support. Supporting youth in addressing their addiction and recovery issues while in placement is integral to their success.

Community Works is a great resource. These are real local professionals who are available for consultation when addressing the needs of students with ED. Community Works can provide supplementary or primary support for the child's needs outside of school, which is vital to a child's chances for success.

===7. Burns, Barbara, J. (1999). A call for a mental health services research agenda for youth with serious emotional disturbance. Mental Health Services Research, Vol. 1, Number 1, 5-20, DOI: 10.1023/A:1021927100830. ===

* * *
This journal article outlines a proposal for a program to formally research clinical interventions for youth with serious emotional disturbances (SED). Burns cites that a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) National Advisory Mental Health Council released a report on adults with serious mental disorders in 1991 that led to the significant expansion of services research in the area. Burns proposes that a similar process be pursued for youths. This article is helpful in gaining a historical sense of the issue and also the value of conducting evidence-based research. Below is the first page of the article:

8. Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice - students with Emotional Disturbance
[]



This is a terrific website dedicated to serving the needs of students with Emotional Disturbance.

Here is a links menu for the ED Homepage:
 * Introduction
 * Eligibility and Characteristics
 * Eligibility for Services
 * Student Characteristics
 * Identification
 * Educational Environments and Services
 * Results
 * Improving Results
 * Summary
 * References

9. Other links to helpful resources:

 * []
 * []
 * []

**Disability CBL Project: IEP Meeting**
On Wednesday, January 24th, I sat in on an IEP meeting regarding a 7th grade student with Asperger’s Syndrome. The student's mother was in attendance along with six professionals assigned to the case, plus myself. The team consisted of the 7th grade IEP case manager, the school district autism specialist, the school psychologist, the dean, a speech-language pathologist, and one of the student’s Gen Ed teachers.

The meeting took approximately 45 minutes and I found it assuring to observe that the procedures they were following were identical to the IEP flowchart we learned in class during week 3.

At this point in the process, the student had already been identified as exhibiting atypical needs and RTI had already been attempted. The student’s mother had initially requested that her child not receive any special educational accommodations at the start of the new school year. However, the student has had trouble controlling his reactions in certain stressful situations and has had episodes in which he becomes violent and aggressive. Up to this date, he has been suspended seven school days as a result of these outbursts. His mother now recognizes that her child is in need of SPED services. The student is intelligent, but has underdeveloped social skills and also struggles with his articulation of r’s and th’s.

The case manager led the agenda for the meeting. Behavior/social goals were discussed with the parent, and the autism specialist proposed a social group with five other students with autism—the goal being to help in the development of social skills in a safe environment. The parent was given the option between her child receiving SPED accommodations in the Gen Ed classroom or to consent to him receiving the majority of his instruction through the Resource Classroom, which adapts curriculum to fit the needs of students with learning and behavioral disabilities. The parent agreed to place her child in the Resources program, and seemed relieved to have finally made the decision.

The SLP went over the articulation therapy plan to address the student’s articulation disorder. It was agreed that therapy will be conducted one hour/month via Skype.

The school psychologist was very supportive and offered valuable insight into the situation that the student was in. She helped to explain why certain strategies were being implemented, and also signed off on the IEP.

The dean offered support as well, sharing some positive experiences with the student. She talked about how the student was conscientious and wanted to do well, he just needs the proper support and development programs.

The Gen Ed teacher also provided positive support and offered an encouraging story in which the student had out-performed his classmates on a test. There was certainly a noticeable effort on behalf of the team to emphasize the student’s strengths along with his weaknesses. This was important as it made it much easier for the parent to cope with the situation.

The team proposed that a functional behavior assessment (FBA) be conducted in order to better identify, quantify, and serve the student’s specific learning needs. Other components of the plan included special arrangements during assemblies, a “stress” card for the student to use to excuse himself from stressful environments, and a self-regulation plan. The student’s schedule was adjusted to put him in classes where he was more likely to succeed.

The IEP was signed by the case manager, the school psychologist, the district autism specialist, the dean, and the parent. It will go into effect immediately to start with the new quarter.

It was encouraging to see the whole process executed so efficiently. The parent was relieved that her son’s needs were going to be met. It was impressive to see how the team collaborated on different parts of the IEP and addressed all of the student’s needs. As a future Gen Ed teacher, I am now familiar with the IEP process, and feel confident that I can contribute to an IEP team.