A teacher's impact on a child's life is critical as it mostly lasts for a lifetime. Thus, the environment they are taught and their interactions with those around them will shape their growth and development. Special education (SPED) students, like all other learners, need to be taught in ways that appeal to their strengths. This is more important for them due to the disabilities they may be struggling with, and thus the teaching methods chosen should cater to this factor. This paper will discuss the best instructional and behavioral strategies for teaching elementary students with childhood behavioral disorders. It will also highlight a couple of IEP goals that these strategies help achieve, the methods used to monitor the goals, and the K-12 standards that these goals meet.
ADHD and BD Students
These behavioral disorders affect how people react to situations and may lead to negative outcomes. ADHD is not a specific learning disability, but affected students often struggle to focus and be attentive in class. It can lead to hypersensitivity and impulsive behaviors, which are disruptive such as calling out loudly in class or standing up and walking around (Iodine, n.d.). If this keeps frequently happening to a level where the student's performances are affected, then it can be qualified under section 504 of the Vocational and Rehabilitation Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (Lee, 2019). Therefore, the affected students will be treated like other children with special needs, and their students will be required to create an IEP for them. Emotional and Behaviour Disorders (EBD) is an umbrella term for many diagnoses such as anxiety disorder, manic-depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), behavioral disabilities (BD), among others (Powell et al., 2019). IDEA also recognizes this condition and list characteristics of affected students to include: an inability to learn that is not linked to sensory, health, or intellectual factors, inability to build and maintain interpersonal relationships with others, inappropriate types of behaviors, unhappiness or depression, and development of physical symptoms associated with the school or personal fears such as tantrums. Students suffering from ADHD or EBD are taught in general classrooms and when their disorders are severe in specialized classrooms in a self-contained, separate school or cluster units’ programs.
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IEP Goals and K-12 Standards
In this study, the students with behavioral disorders will be in the inclusive general classroom. The student with ADHD has trouble completing tasks and obeying the class rules. The IEP goals are:
She should be able to finalize tasks.
She will learn to follow class rules and stop disrupting others in the class.
By meeting these goals, this student will achieve the K-12 standards of understanding the importance of hard work, learning to read, write and communicate effectively.
For the student suffering from EBD, the biggest challenge is cooperating with the adults. The IEP goal is to use his relationship with other students to help relay feedback to the teacher and create good relationships with teachers. Meeting this goal will meet the K-12 standard of learning to participate in collaborative teamwork and interact with different people in preparation for their future in the work market and higher education.
Strategies for Teaching Students with ADHD and EBD
Behavioral Strategies
Rules and Routines
Teachers should create simple rules which are worded positively and are easily understandable to all students at the beginning of the year or semester. The rules should also not be many and should be kept at a visible place where all children can see them clearly ( McClafferty, n.d.) . The instructor should also consistently refer to them and apply them consistently through the year or period of schooling. The consequences for breaking the rules should also be clear and consistently upheld. Routine activities should be adopted in the classroom besides the application of rules. Students with EBD(s) tend to react negatively to sudden change and struggle with transitions. Students should also be told of the consequences of breaking the rules when punishment is being meted out so that they can understand the importance of adhering to the rules. Teachers should also be very calm when explaining the consequences of breaking the rules and could also involve the students in creating the rules. This reinforces positive behavior and reminds the students of the rules' importance.
Positive Behavior Rewarding Systems
The teacher comes up with ways of supporting and rewarding positive behaviors. The method, also called Positive behavioral intervention and Support (PBS), involves teachers creating rules, preventing negative behavior, having policies to deal with errant individuals, and rewarding well-behaved ones (Powell et al., 2019). An instructor may adopt innovative reward systems that are interesting for the students to participate in and offer prizes that motivate a student who behaves positively. This could include a lottery or token economy system where winners get amazing prizes. Teachers could also ask students to nominate their peers who have been behaving excellently and then proceed to reward both students. This creates teamwork and a common appreciation of positive behavior. This method is also critical because rewarding positive behaviors is more effective than punishing negative ones. When punishing, the students may develop emotions such as fear or defiance, which lead to more problematic behavior.
Instructional Strategies
Peer Tutoring
Setting up students with behavioral problems with peers is a good way of helping them learn. ADHD students benefit from the fact that they can receive and be reminded of instructions severally by their peers and also receive immediate feedback ( Abdulrahman, 2016) . On the other hand, EBD students may form a role model type of relationship with their peers, thus act positively and create a calmer learning environment (Powell et al.,2019). Peer tutors can also relay the feedback of students with EBD who will not cooperate with adults to their teachers and gradually help them cultivate a culture of trust with them.
Station Rotation Blended Learning
This involves dividing students into different groups that carry out different activities. It is vital for classrooms with limited technology in that one group may be using available technological tools (computer-based) while another group is working on projects or receiving close instructions from the teacher. The schedule may be based on learning styles or be dynamic where it depends on skills and needs. Such a system allows teachers to address specific issues facing different students and can be important in an inclusive classroom (Edementum, n.d.). Special needs students may also be coupled with regular students who assist them throughout the lesson, increasing the class learning's flexibility.
Use of Prompts and Educational Aids
This involves identifying what type of learner a specific student is and noting their challenges. When a student's learning style is identified, then the teacher can use technological means to attend to that student. Visual learners may be taught using videos, charts, pictures, maps, and others, while auditory learners may be provided with recorded notes, study groups, discussions, and lecture environments. On the other hand, kinesthetic learners will benefit from a hands-on approach, allowing them to help in-class activities, taking them for field trips or games, and giving them presentations will appeal more to them. The use of prompts for each category of learners is essential. Audio cues for ADHD students that relay instructions to them regularly help them focus and remember the procedures to follow, such as arithmetic (LD Online, n.d). Using computers through videos, games, and interactive websites as an extra learning aid will also capture both ADHD and EBD students' attention and reduce negative behaviors.
Lecture Duration and Structure
Classes should also be designed to best help keep the students engaged. For ADHD students having short notes where the most important points are highlighted will help them. Classes should also be short not to bore the students and lead to them growing hypersensitive (LD Online, n.d.). Another suggestion is to have heavy instruction-based topics in the morning when the student is energized and fresh, while in the afternoon when they are tired, they can engage in less tedious subjects or activities such as physical activities and behavioral therapy.
Class Physical and Sitting Organization
The sitting arrangements and spaces in the class should be designed in a unique way to the needs of the students with behavioral disorders. Desks should be set in rows to give students with EBD their space. These students should also not be placed near the class's windows, doors, or activity centers ( McClafferty, n.d.) . ADHD students, on the other hand, should be seated as close to the teacher as possible and face forward. This helps them maintain focus and attention.
Social Skills Sessions and Regular Breaks
Social skills sessions should be incorporated several times in the classroom's learning schedule to reinforce good behavior and rules. EBD and ADHD students need to be reminded every time of instructions and class rules ( McClafferty, n.d.) . The sessions break the monotony of lessons, allowing the students to reflect on social skills and their conduct. On the other hand, regular breaks help ADHD students remain refreshed and interested in the lesson.
Methods of Measuring the Effectiveness of Adopted Strategies
Powell et al. (2019) encourage using a multi-tier System of Supports (MTSS), which is used to define a student's problem and assess data to establish the cause of the problem. They then create a unique plan to the needs of the affected student as derived from the data. The implemented plan is then assessed to investigate whether the student has responded positively. Some methods that can be used to monitor the effectiveness of the strategies above involve a combination of competitive computer games, oral presentations, written tests, and even interactive activities such as discussions or conversations with instructors. These methods will be used interchangeably because different students have different learning styles. Students with EBD may also be asked to define what good behavior is, their target, and then after a while, review whether they achieved those targets.
Conclusion
Behavioral disorders may affect the school performance of students. Once a student is diagnosed with ADHD or EBD and is linked to a drop in performance, the student is recognized as a special needs student under IDEA. Teachers, therefore, need to adopt several instructional and behavioral strategies to teach such students.
References
Abdulrahman A. A . (2016) Implementation of peer tutoring strategies in teaching students with ADHD: Teachers' attitudes in Saudi Education. Journal of Education and Practice . https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1118899
Edmentum. (n.d.). Special education- 4 teaching best practices . https://blog.edmentum.com/special-education-4-teaching-best-practices
Hamilton, N. J., & Astramovich, R. L. (2016). Teaching strategies for students with ADHD: Findings from the Field. Education . https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/prin/ed/2016/00000136/00000004/art00006
LD Online. (n.d.). Helping the student with ADHD in the classroom: Strategies for teachers . https://www.ldonline.org/article/5911/
Lee, A. M. (2019, August 5). Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): What you need to know . Home. https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/your-childs-rights/basics-about-childs-rights/individuals-with-disabilities-education-act-idea-what-you-need-to-know
McClafferty, J. (n.d.). 11 classroom management strategies for children with special needs . https://blog.stageslearning.com/blog/11-classroom-management-strategies-for-children-with-special-needs
Melinda. (n.d.). Helping children with learning disabilities . https://www.helpguide.org/articles/autism-learning-disabilities/helping-children-with-learning-disabilities.htm
Powell, S. R., Driver, M. K., Forsyth, S. R., Bos, S. A., & Benz, S. A. (2019). working with exceptional students (2nd ed.). Bridgepoint Education.
