Emotional and Behavior Disorders in Children
One of the key points that have been postulated by Hardman is concerning emotional and behavior disorders in children. It is extremely challenging for clinicians to assess these disorders in the youth and children who have less proficiency in English as well as those from diverse cultural backgrounds. It is unfortunate that this population of children and youth is minimally represented in programs concerning special reduction. Hardman further notes that the key to assisting students of diverse origins is through positive behavioral support. This type of support has proved to be successful in both the general education classrooms and settings that are less restrictive (Hardman, Drew and Eagan, 2009).
Rather than taking care of the signs and ignoring the root cause of the problem, positive behavioral support aims at addressing the entire factors and features that may be linked to a youth or child’s negative acts. The key goals of this support system are to enhance academic performance, improve behavior in youth and children at any given setting and finally prevent serious aggressive, violent and destructive behaviors. Collaboration is necessary in order to effectively support children and youth with emotional and behavioral problems. The collaboration comprises of family members, a reliable team of experts and the natural support providers. Early predicators of potential gang involvement on youth should be detected at a very early age so that ways of curbing the behavior can be established (Hardman, et al, 2009).
Inclusive education is the other key point that Hardman’s text highlights. This is defined as the act of delivering specialized and the most appropriate services to adolescents and children with emotional and behavioral disorders in an educational setting that is general. This method is aimed at promoting social skills in students and enabling them to form satisfactory connections with their teachers and age mates. The eventual result is promotion of positive attitudes on peers without disabilities and building of various academic skills (Hardman, et al, 2009).
Hardman further examines the autism spectrum disorders which refer to neurodevelopment disabilities that are life-long and start prior to 3 years of age. Autism disorders are a result of abnormal brain function and development. Students suffering from these disorders are often socially impaired and hence fail to form healthy friendships. Management of difficult behavior, communication problems and socially unacceptable behavior is one of the key challenges faced by parents and teachers who handle children with autism disorders. Intervention and support is therefore necessary in order to help children and students with autism disorders. According to research studies, earlier and intensive prevention measure have proved to highly effective for children suffering from autism disorders (Hardman, et al, 2009).
Based on my educational experience, I believe the concepts covered in Hardman text are applicable in a classroom and instruction. First of all, it is possible to find students with motional and behavioral disorders in a normal classroom setting. When this is the case, it is essential to provide a positive support and encourage these students. There is also need for inclusive education since this would enable other students without disabilities to learn to accept their counterparts who have emotional and behavioral disabilities. The same case is applicable to students with autism disorders. Preventive measures and support need to be given to these students in an instructional setting that is diverse. Students should always know that having a disability does not mean that one is unable to excel academically. With appropriate intervention, students with any form of disability be it autism or emotional and behavioral disability, can excel academically just like their counterparts with no disability.
Reference
Hardman, M. L., Drew, C. J., & Eagan, M. W. (2009). Human Exceptionality. School, community and Family (10th Ed). Cengage, Brooks and Cole
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