EBD Blog

Jaylen Arnold is not happy about bullying, and he’s telling anyone who will listen to stop bullying now. According to the Web site for Jaylen’s Challenge, Jaylen Arnold, the third grader who is the central figure in the anti-bullying campaign that uses his name and has been featured frequently in the media recently, has Tourette’s disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Jaylen’s effort to end bullying is apparently abetted by his parents (Howard and Robin Holt Arnold) and someone named Paul, who helps with the Web management.

This site is the dream of a wonderful little boy named Jaylen. Jaylen suffers from Tourette Syndrome. He wants to educate people about bullying, bringing attention to the difficulties he faces in his day to day living . He hopes to make you laugh, make you cry, but most importantly make you aware that those with disabilities are not only normal – but incredibly special people. With your help and support he can spread the word and teach people to help…not bully.

Continue reading ‘Jaylen is ticked at bullies’

Hill Walker and colleagues reported that the First Step to Success program benefitted young children at risk for developing emotional or behavioral disorders. In a longitudinal study of the three-year program conducted in Albuquerque (NM, US), the researchers found substantial reductions in disruptive behavior and improvements in social functioning.

In a press release, Professor Walker said, “Albuquerque was the first opportunity we had to mount a large-scale study of the program using a randomized control group, the gold standard for research. First Step has been implemented widely, but not [studied] in this way.”
Continue reading ‘First Step takes off’

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which is a part of the US Department of Health and Human Services, maintains a Web site where users can search for and learn more about methods for preventing or treating some Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. It’s called the “National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices” (NREPP) and, for those who are concerned about employing or recommending evidence-based practices, it’s worth reviewing.

The National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) is a searchable online registry of mental health and substance abuse interventions that have been reviewed and rated by independent reviewers.

The purpose of this registry is to assist the public in identifying approaches to preventing and treating mental and/or substance use disorders that have been scientifically tested and that can be readily disseminated to the field. NREPP is one way that SAMHSA is working to improve access to information on tested interventions and thereby reduce the lag time between the creation of scientific knowledge and its practical application in the field.

NREPP is a voluntary, self-nominating system in which intervention developers elect to participate. There will always be some interventions that are not submitted to NREPP, and not all that are submitted are reviewed. In addition, new intervention summaries are continually being added. The registry is expected to grow to a large number of interventions over the coming months and years. Please check back regularly to access the latest updates.

Although NREPP originally focused on substance abuse, its coverage is broader now. Look for resources about, for examples, Across Ages; Aggressors, Victims, and Bystanders: Thinking and Acting To Prevent Violence; Al’s Pals: Kids Making Healthy Choices; All Stars; Caring School Community; CASASTART; Children’s Summer Treatment Program (STP); Coping Cat; Creating Lasting Family Connections (CLFC)/Creating Lasting Connections (CLC); Early Risers “Skills for Success”; Families and Schools Together (FAST); Guiding Good Choices; Incredible Years; Keep A Clear Mind (KACM); Keepin’ it REAL; Lions Quest Skills for Adolescence; Multisystemic Therapy (MST) for Juvenile Offenders; Multisystemic Therapy With Psychiatric Supports (MST-Psychiatric); Positive Action; Primary Project; Project Northland; Project Towards No Tobacco Use; Project Venture; Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS), PATHS Preschool; Protecting You/Protecting Me; Right Decisions, Right Now: Be Tobacco Free; SAFEChildren; Second Step; SMARTteam; Storytelling for Empowerment; Strengthening Families Program; Strengthening Families Program: For Parents and Youth 10-14; Success in Stages: Build Respect, Stop Bullying; Too Good for Drugs; and Too Good for Violence;

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.

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′

Here’s a description of a highly touted intervention.

[Method X] is recognized worldwide as a general method to reinforce the body’s protective abilities for people of all ages who suffer from various disorders and pre-illness conditions, i.e. practically healthy people.

[Method X] involves the organized interaction between [therapy agent] and person, with optimal conditions to offer benefits to the person as well as the [therapy agent].

[Method X] can assist in the following tasks:

- Correction of psychological development for people with nervous system disorders
- Development of cognitive activity for people with psycho-neurological disorders
- Development of children’s speech
- Removal of chronic pain
- Reduction of neurological and vegetative-vascular reactions
- Relief from psychosomatic conditions
- Reduction of unintentional movements, tics and spasms
- Rehabilitation of people, victims of violence or other stressful situations
- Psycho-emotional training for specialists whose work is connected with extremely stressful situations
- Leisure and relaxation for healthy people–children and adults

The main component of [Method X] is the psychological effect from the interaction between [the client] and [the therapy assistant] in an unaccustomed environment and the physical therapy effect from [Y and Z] made by these [therapists].

Would you want to use this therapy for yourself or your child?

I would! But, that’s because I know what the therapy is.

The annual meeting of Teacher Educators for Children with Behavioral Disorders (TECBD), now named after Rob Rutherford who founded it, will be held 15-17 November 2007 in Tempe (AZ, US). Steve Forness, Cheryl George, and John Maag are among the people who’ll be speaking this year.

Every year, EBDBlog has announced the call for papers, so this is nothing new. There is still time to propose a presentation for this year’s meeting. Potential presenters may submit proposals for sessions using the TECBD site.

Link to the Web site for TECBD. Link for proposing presentations.

Over on ms-teacher, a teacher has a little piece applauding a mother’s response to her daughter being suspended from school for bullying. The entry refers to a newspaper article describing how 12-year-old Miasha Williams’ mother had her hold a sign reading “I engaged in bullying behavior. I got suspended from school and this street corner. Don’t be like me. Stop bullying” in front of schools.
Continue reading ‘Bully picture’

Here’s a story about a troubling combination of race, disability, adolescence, sports mentality, and probably other factors that apparently combined to result in—you guessed it—violence. Under the headline “Martin schools sued over beating,” Daphne Duret of the Palm Beach (FL, US) Post reported about a suit being brought by Michele Potts because of a beating she says her son, Henry Daniel Banks, received after a football practice, ostensibly for using a racial slur during the practice.

A Hobe Sound mother sued the Martin County School Board Monday claiming school officials failed to protect her emotionally disabled son, who briefly played football at South Fork High School before several teammates accused him of using a racial slur and beat him up in a locker room.

Michele Potts’ son, Henry Daniel Banks, was a week into his freshman year and an offensive lineman on the junior varsity football team in August 2005, when at least two players followed him into the freshman locker room at the end of practice one afternoon, records show. They beat him so badly they caused permanent damage to his teeth and jaw, knocking two of his teeth into the roof of his mouth, his mother said.

Link to Ms. Duret’s story.

Just in case someone forgot or didn’t understand in the first place, bullying has nasty consequences.

PEDIATRICS Vol. 118 No. 1 July 2006, pp. 130-138 (doi:10.1542/peds.2005-2388)

Bullying Victimization Uniquely Contributes to Adjustment Problems in Young Children: A Nationally Representative Cohort Study

Louise Arseneault, PhDa, Elizabeth Walsh, MDb, Kali Trzesniewski, PhDa, Rhiannon Newcombe, PhDa, Avshalom Caspi, PhDa,c and Terrie E. Moffitt, PhDa,c

a Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre
b Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College, London, United Kingdom
c Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin

OBJECTIVE. It has been shown that bullying victimization is associated with behavior and school adjustment problems, but it remains unclear whether the experience of bullying uniquely contributes to those problems after taking into account preexisting adjustment problems.

METHODS. We examined bullying in the Environmental Risk Study, a nationally representative 1994–1995 birth cohort of 2232 children. We identified children who experienced bullying between the ages of 5 and 7 years either as pure victims or bully/victims. We collected reports from mothers and teachers about children’s behavior problems and school adjustment when they were 5 years old and again when they were age 7.

RESULTS. Compared with control children, pure victims showed more internalizing problems and unhappiness at school when they were 5 and 7 years. Girls who were pure victims also showed more externalizing problems than controls. Compared with controls and pure victims, bully/victims showed more internalizing problems, more externalizing problems, and fewer prosocial behaviors when they were 5 and 7 years. They also were less happy at school compared with control children at 7 years of age. Pure victims and bully/victims showed more behavior and school adjustment problems at 7 years of age, even after controlling for preexisting adjustment problems at 5 years of age.

CONCLUSIONS. Being the victim of a bully during the first years of schooling contributes to maladjustment in young children. Prevention and intervention programs aimed at reducing mental health problems during childhood should target bullying as an important risk factor.

Link to the Pediatrics abstract.

The most recent of a series of books examining the characteristics, causes, treatment, and consequences of antisocial behavior in children and youths, this volume by the Oregon Social Learning Center (OSLC) team examines the behavioral processes that build and sustain deviant interactions between children and their families (as well as teachers and others). Professors Patterson and Reid have been working on this topic for more than 40 years and they have examined these processes using many different scientific methods. They have assembled chapters from an all-star cast of people with whom they have worked during that time and the contributed chapters cover both the development of and intervention in antisocial behavior.

Reid, J. B., Patterson, G. R., & Snyder, J. J. (Eds.). (2002). Antisocial behavior in children and adolescents: A developmental analysis and model for intervention. Washington, D.C., American Psychological Association.

Learn more about the book from a page on the Web site of the American Psychological Association. To learn more about the OSLC, check the link in the sidebar. During my graduate studies, I worked with this research group for a bit more than a year; I learned a tremendous amount from the interactions and readings I had during that period.