Challenges of Educating Students With EBD

1. Challenges of Educating Students With EBD Effectively Working With Others to Meet Student Needs

2. Teacher Role Limitations • Ecological constraints • Role constraints • Legal constraints

3. Ecological Constraints • Lack of experienced personnel to address problem behaviors • Can lead to inappropriate and over-identification • Identified professionals are overextended • Increased enrollments • Intensity involved in working with students

4. Role Constraints • Multiple needs of students with EBD • Educational and related services • Inability of teachers to meet directly the needs of students with EBD • The need for basic social change to meet these students’ needs • Lack of teacher preparation or interest in this area

5. Legal Constraints • Danger of liability and litigation • need for restraint and other intrusive procedures • Requirements of due process • Discipline procedures • Manifestation determinations • Ethical restraints on use of intrusive-aversive interventions

6. Consequences of Exceeding Teacher Limitations • Stress and burnout • Dangers of litigation • Reinforcement of inaction by responsible others

7. Stress and burnout • High attrition rates among teachers of SEBD • Diminished effectiveness • Inability to dissociate from students and their problems

8. Dangers of litigation • Inappropriate involvement in professional areas for which unqualified • Medication • Counseling • Failure to follow appropriate procedures for intrusive interventions

9. Reinforcement of inaction by responsible others • Reticence to involve students in general education activity • “not ready” • reinforces teachers who do not want to teach “problem” kids • Reticence to involve parents and other caregivers • “not helpful” “just as messed up as the child” • results in dissociating students and disempowerment of families

10. Intrapersonal Considerations • Work within yourself • Recognize and respect the limits imposed by the environment and your role (don’t take on others’ roles) • Find ways to team interactively • Across teachers/specialists • Within the profession (“pizza and beer” planning)

11. Interpersonal Considerations • Recognize the limits of the job • Avoid exceeding them w/o due compensation (financial and psychological) • If others aren’t willing to pitch in, it is unlikely you can do it by yourself.