Archive for the 'Acting out' Category

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Familiar concerns?

Published on 29 June 2009 in Acting in, Acting out, ADHD, Assessment, Bi-polar, Conduct disorder, Delinquency, Depression, Families, Prevention, The press and Treatment. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

Summer in the US finds children and youths out of school and, perhaps, less vulnerable to some of the problems that are associated with the social and academic demands that are part of schooling. As a result, perhaps fewer of the familiar problems illustrated in this poster are apparent during summer.

If summer seems like a relief from such problems, though, that could be an important indicator that those very problems need to be addressed. A few weeks away from school probably will not cure them. Those same difficulties may still be occurring, just less obviously, and they are likely to recur soon.

Individuals or the families of children who experience the kinds of problems noted in the poster should consult the resources available from the US government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. One will not find easy cures there, but by carefully perusing the resources available one can learn what signs to monitor and where to go to get help.

The image is hot. Click it to get to a good starting place.

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Healthy youth

Published on 23 June 2009 in Acting in, Acting out, ADHD, Assessment, Bi-polar, Conduct disorder, Delinquency, Depression, Families, Prevention, Research, The press and Treatment. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Even though many schools in the US have closed for the summer or are about to do so, I want to remind folks that this is not a good time to take a break from considering the mental health needs of children and youth. Although they are likely to wax and wane over time, mental health problems don’t take many vacations.

Learn more about US resources for individual children and youths who have emotional and behavioral disorders by surfing the rich resources assembled by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) of the US Department of Health and Human Services. Although some of the materials may be a tad out of date (e.g., prevalence figures have been updated for some disorders such as Autism), there are still plenty of valuable materials available from SAMHSA.

Go there! Compare what you see learn there with what’s available at other trustworthy sites. Learn what to do and from whom help is available.

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Officer training for handling incidents

Published on 21 May 2009 in Acting out, Autism, Delinquency, Families, News, Policy, Professsional development, Schizophrenia and The press. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

Reporting on US National Public Radio’s Morning Edition, Joanne Silberner presented a story about police officers handling incidents in which they encounter people with emotional and behavior disorders who are behaving in ways that appear threatening to the officers. Although her story uses adult cases for illustrations, this topic should also be of interest for youths who have EBD and for the families of children with EBD.

Here’s an excerpt from Ms. Silberner’s report.

It’s a situation no one wants to see: An armed police officer is called because someone is in the throes of a psychotic episode. “How the officer handles that situation can have a significant impact,” says Russell Laine, head of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
Continue reading ‘Officer training for handling incidents’

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US Congress hearings on seclusion and restraint

Published on 19 May 2009 in Acting out, Autism, Behavior management, News and Policy. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

Over on Behavior Mod Info readers can find several entries about the hearings regarding US schools’ use of seclusion and restraint. The hearings were conducted by the US House of Representatives’ Committee on Education and Labor.

(Apologies for the cross-posting to those who read Teach Effectively.)

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New prevention book

Published on 13 February 2009 in Acting in, Acting out, Bi-polar, Bullying, Causes, Conduct disorder, Delinquency, Depression, Families, News, Policy, Prevention, Research, The press and Treatment. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .

The US National Academies Press announced the publication of a book entitled Preventing Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders Among Young People: Progress and Possibilities that discusses prevention of problems during childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. Edited by Mary Ellen O’Connell, Thomas Boat, and Kenneth E. Warner, the book represents the work of the Board on Children, Youth and Families. It is available in hardback, as a PDF, or online (the last option is free).

Mental health and substance use disorders among children, youth, and young adults are major threats to the health and well-being of younger populations which often carryover into adulthood. The costs of treatment for mental health and addictive disorders, which create an enormous burden on the affected individuals, their families, and society, have stimulated increasing interest in prevention practices that can impede the onset or reduce the severity of the disorders.

Prevention practices have emerged in a variety of settings, including programs for selected at-risk populations (such as children and youth in the child welfare system), school-based interventions, interventions in primary care settings, and community services designed to address a broad array of mental health needs and populations.

Preventing Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders Among Young People updates a 1994 Institute of Medicine book, Reducing Risks for Mental Disorders, focusing special attention on the research base and program experience with younger populations that have emerged since that time.

Researchers, such as those involved in prevention science, mental health, education, substance abuse, juvenile justice, health, child and youth development, as well as policy makers involved in state and local mental health, substance abuse, welfare, education, and justice will depend on this updated information on the status of research and suggested directions for the field of mental health and prevention of disorders.

Link to the press release or the ordering page.

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MHA celebrates centennial

Published on 11 February 2009 in Acting in, Acting out, Bi-polar, Causes, Depression, Families, News, Policy, Schizophrenia, The press and Treatment. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Mental Health America, a large and active US group that advocates for people with emotional and behavioral disorders, will focus its centennial celebration around the theme, “’Celebrating the Legacy; Forging the Future’ 1909 – 2009.”

Mental Health America is celebrating 100 years of advocacy, public education, and support for Americans with mental health conditions. Over the past century, we have transformed our nation’s approach to mental health by working to create a just, humane and healthy society in which all people are accorded respect, dignity and the opportunity to achieve their full potential free from stigma and prejudice.

These are the folks who famously recast as a bell the shackles that had been used to restrain people with mental illness. That bell now symbolize improved—but still not perfected—understanding and treatment for people with mental illness. In addition to offering many other valuable services (policy advocacy, hotlines, etc.), MHA educates the public about mental health and mental illness. It provides fact sheets about (to list just a few) anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and suicide.

Go learn more.

Mental Health America
2000 N. Beauregard Street, 6th Floor Alexandria, VA 22311
Phone (703) 684-7722
Toll free (800) 969-6642
TTY 800/433-5959
Fax (703) 684-5968

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Tantrum management

Published on 31 January 2009 in Acting out, Autism, Behavior management, Causes, News, Prevention, Professsional development and The press. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Over on FAQAutism, Cathy Knoll has a pair of posts advising a student teacher about handling outburst by a student with Autism. The student teacher described the situation in this way:

The student teacher wrote that she is in an elementary classroom this semester, and is concerned about a youngster in the class. The student teacher reported the details of an episode that involved changing the regular classroom routine. She said, “One day I let the class vote on our reading activity. Their choices were (1) I would start a new book for our regularly scheduled ‘Read Aloud’ time, or (2) the students would read their new Scholastic News magazine independently at their desks. The class voted to read at their desk and finish a writing project for our bulletin board from earlier in the day. The girl with autism had voted for me to read aloud like I normally do at that time of day. However, the majority won. She couldn’t handle it and started yelling. I asked her quietly and calmly if she would like me to show her the new book that I would start reading to the following day. She screamed at me, ‘No. Never in a million years will I look at that book. I never want to hear you read anything ever again!’ Then she ran across the room and hid in a corner and started rocking back and forth.”

Ms. Knoll characterized the situation in terms of inflexibility and anger management. After remarking that she would not have students vote on activities, she makes a couple of sensible suggestions: (a) “The most effective way to prevent emotional meltdowns for an inflexible student is to develop a regular, predictable classroom routine” and (b) “Jot down quick notes every time he has a tantrum: the time it starts and the time it stops.”

I was pleased to see this tip-toe toward an antecedent-behavior-consequence analysis. Too bad that the recommendations do not go all the way to a functional behavior analysis. There are plenty of good resources on how to affect such analyses. It would be helpful to guide teachers to these methods of ascertaining what environmental features are sustaining a students “tantrums.”

Link to the two posts (#1 and #2) on FAQAustim advising a student-teacher about addressing tantrums.

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Wrap-around grants

Published on 16 January 2009 in Acting in, Acting out, Conduct disorder, Delinquency, Depression, News, Policy, Professsional development and Treatment. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

For schools and local education agencies that are doing a good job of working collaboratively with local mental health agencies or aspire to do so, here is a fine funding opportunity. Wrap-around systems of care have well-known benefits for children and youths with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders.

Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems (Federal Register: January 12, 2009 [CFDA# 84.215M])

Purpose of Program: Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems will provide funds to increase student access to high-quality mental health care by developing innovative approaches that link school systems with the local mental health system.

==> Applications Available: January 12, 2009.
==> Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: February 23, 2009.

Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), including charter schools that are considered LEAs under State law, and Indian tribes.

==> Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000-$400,000.
==> Estimated Average Size of Awards: $325,000.
==> Estimated Number of Awards: 15.

Link to the request for proposals. For more about wrap-around services, see the following sources.

  • Burchard, J. D. (2000). How wraparound can help overcome three common barriers to successful transition services. Reaching Today’s Youth, 2(4), 49-51.
  • Duckworth, S., Smith-Rex, S., Okey, S., Brookshire, M., Rawlinson, D., Rawlinson, R., Castillo, S., & Little, J. (2001). Wraparound services for young schoolchildren with emotional and behavioral disorders. Teaching Exceptional Children, 26, 54-60.
  • Eber, L., Nelson, C. M., & Miles, P. (1997). School-based wraparound for students with emotional and behavioral challenges. Exceptional Children, 63, 539-555.
  • Eber, L. (1996). Restructuring schools through wraparound approach: The LADSE Experience. In R. J. Illback & C. M. Nelson (Eds.), School-based services for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (pp. 139-154). Binghamton, NY: Haworth.
  • Eber, L., & Nelson, C. M. (1997). Integrating services for students with emotional and behavioral needs through school-based wraparound planning. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 67, 385-395.
  • Epstein, M. H., Kutash, K., & Duchnowski, A. (Eds.), Outcomes for children and youth with behavioral and emotional disorders and their families. Austin, TX: Pro Ed.
  • Malysiak, R. (1997). Exploring theory and paradigm base for wraparound. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 6, 399-408.
  • Malloy, J., Cheney, D., & Cormier, G. (1998). Interagency collaboration and the transition to adulthood for students with emotional or behavioral disabilities. Education and Treatment of Children, 31, 303-320.
  • VanDenBerg, J. E., & Grealish, E. M. (1997). Individualized services and supports through the wraparound process: Philosophy and procedures. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 5, 7-21.
  • Walker, J. S., & Schutte, K. (2003). Individualized Service/Support Planning and Wraparound: Research bibliography. Portland, OR: Portland State University, Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children’s Mental Health.
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WORKING WITH TROUBLED CHILDREN (book available soon)

Published on 8 January 2009 in Acting in, Acting out, Behavior management, Bookshelf and Treatment. 2 Comments

Just a note to readers that a new little paper back (about 160 pages) that I authored with Rick Brigham (now of George Mason University) will be available before long. It might be used as a text in teacher education (special or general education) or as a resource by parents or anyone who works with children with emotional or behavioral problems. The reference is:
Kauffman, J. M., & Brigham, F.J. (in press). Working with troubled children . Verona, WI: Attainment.

It’s now available in an Advance Reader’s Edition (bound but uncorrected proofs), and we expect it’ll be available in final form in early spring. You may find Attainment Company at http://www.attainmentcompany.com/xcart/home.php . Here’s a Table of Contents:

Chapter 1 Recognizing Early Signs of Behavior Problems: An Overview of Early Intervention and Prevention
Cases in Point
Nathan
Pauline
Larry
Typical Responses to Early Signs of Behavior Problems
Understanding Normal Development and Differences
The Concept of Normal
Differences That Are Not Normal
Definitions of Disorders for Special Education
General Guidelines for Judging Signs of Behavior Problems
Signs of Problems in Infancy
Signs of Problems in Toddlerhood
Signs of Problems in the Early School Years
Signs of Problems in Middle Childhood
Signs of Problems in Adolescence
The Need for Early, Accurate Labels
The Dimensions of Early Intervention and Prevention
Summary
Chapter 2 Understanding Causes
Cases in Point
Mark
Tommy
Increasing and Decreasing Risk
Major Causal Factors
Biological Factors
Genes
Temperament
Brain Malfunction
Other Health-Related Issues
Family Factors
Family Definition and Structure, Including Substitute Parents
Family Interactions
School Factors
Insensitivity to Individuality
Inappropriate Expectations
Inconsistent Management
Instruction in Nonfunctional or Irrelevant Skills Ineffective Instruction in Critical Skills
Undesirable Models
Destructive Contingencies
Social and Cultural Factors
Mass Media: Television, Movies, and Music
Peers
Neighborhood and Urbanization
Ethnicity, Social Class, and Poverty
Summary
Chapter 3 The Dilemma of Early Identification: To Identify or Not to Identify
Cases in Point
Esther P. Rothman
Edith
True and False Identification: Trying to Get Labels Right
At-Risk and Response to Intervention: What Do They Mean?
The “At-Risk” Label
Meanings of Response to Intervention
What’s the Problem? A Caution
Spoiled Identity: Dealing with Pride and Prejudice
Expectations: Setting Them Not Too High and Not Too Low
Social Rejection and Isolation: Facilitating Peer Affiliation
Going From Bad to Worse: Facing The Ultimate Horror
Summary
Chapter 4 Why Responding to Trouble Immediately Is Important
Cases in Point
Dean
Larissa
Behavior Change Is Easier
Chances for Better Life Outcomes Are Enhanced
Academic Progress Is More Likely
Social Acceptance Among Helpful Peers Is Possible
Summary
Chapter 5 General Ideas for Making Things Better
Cases in Point
Derrick
Joshua
A Class That Is Separate and Better
The Centrality of Effective Instruction
The Help of School-Wide Discipline
The Usefulness of Structure and Routine
A Focus on the Positive in Behavior and Consequences
The Importance of Clear Communication
Why Consistent Follow-Through Is Essential
Understanding Cycles of Behavior and Implications for Prevention
Seeing the Cycle or Pattern
Responding Effectively to the Stage or Level
Anticipating the Next Level or Stage
The Use and Abuse of Medication
Summary
Chapter 6 Using Incentives Intelligently
Cases in Point
Rewards Versus Bribes
Andy
Try the Simplest Things First
Telling
Showing Examples
What to Use as Rewards
How to Use Rewards
Getting Started and Moving On
Being As Good As Your Word: Follow-Through
Thinking About Our Fears and Struggles
Summary
Chapter 7 Using Deterrents Deftly
Cases in Point
A Boy with Behavior Problems
Eddie
Commentaries on Punishment
The Necessity of Punishment
Punishment As Part of Teaching
Self-Perception
Keeping Punishment Nonviolent and Matter-of-Fact
Uses and Abuses of Time Out
Exceptions and Evidence Beyond Reasonable Doubt
Making Punishment Consistent, Informative, and Instructive
Making Punishment Stick: Follow-Through
Summary
Chapter 8 Finding Help
Parents as Sources of Support
Working with Consultants
Finding Help in the Literature
Summary

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CCBD forum 2009

Published on 2 December 2008 in Acting in, Acting out, Behavior management, Bullying, Conduct disorder, Delinquency, News, Professsional development, Research, The press and Treatment. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Here’s a special opportunity to learn about how to address challenging behavior problems. This is a star-studded line-up.—JohnL

International Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders

Professional Development

2 0 0 9 International Forum

Achieving Academic and Social Competence: Improving Educational Outcomes for Challenging Students

Tuscany Suites and Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada

January 30-31, 2009

Continue reading ‘CCBD forum 2009′

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Teaching them matters

Published on 20 November 2008 in Acting out, ADHD, Behavior management, Conduct disorder, Musings, News, Research, The press and Treatment. 0 Comments Tags: , .

In “Failing Sam,” Jessica Shyu—who taught special education for two years at an American Indian reservation school in New Mexico—makes an important point about what we provide educationally for students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. Teachers may become lulled by having a quiet, disruption-free classroom and overlook the need to provide beneficial instruction. She recalls a particularly challenging student named “Sam.”

His reputation preceded him. A week before he even arrived at school, the teachers were eagerly sharing horror stories they’d heard about the 12-year-old. It was a mix of rumor and truth. They told me about his alcohol problem. They told me about how he doused his cousin with gasoline and lit her on fire. They told me I would be lucky to get him to sit down and not hurt anyone.

Continue reading ‘Teaching them matters’

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Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation

Published on 1 October 2008 in Acting in, Acting out, Bi-polar, Causes, Families, News, Research and Treatment. 1 Comment

I recently learned of the existence of the The Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation, and I wanted to note it here. Alert readers (I know I make you feel snoozy most of the time) probably noted that a link to the JBRF appeared in the Web Resources section a few days ago, but this is the first post that refers to the organization. Here’s a snippet from the about page at the foundation.

The Juvenile Bipolar Research Foundation is the first charitable organization solely dedicated to the support of research for the study of early-onset bipolar disorder. Our board is a remarkable one, made up of dedicated parents, treating professionals and world class clinical investigators and basic science researchers.

JBRF has organized a consortium of collaborating research groups and individual investigators from a number of medical schools and treatment centers including the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and SUNY-Syracuse, and will continue to establish collaborations with researchers from other centers around the world to further the goals of the foundation.

JBRF sponsors research, maintains discussion lists, provides links to clinical services, and more. Visit the site at http://jbrf.org/

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