Katie Sutara Emotional Impairment

 Characteristics: 
Michigan’s Administrative Rules for Special Education defines the characteristics of emotional impairment to be:
Inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships within the school environment
Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances
General pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression
Tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems

If a student responds to situations with an inappropriate behavior or emotion, typically has a difficult time maintaining relationships with other classmates or has difficulty learning without cause (no other disorder has been diagnosed), an emotional impairment may be a factor.

Each student’s characteristics will be different when diagnosing an emotional impairment. However, all students will show signs of struggle with emotional, behavioral and cognitive development.

Misconceptions:
Emotional impairment is not one disorder; it is a blanket term that refers to a variety of disorders that differ from one another in characteristics and treatment.  A student with an emotional impairment may have anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, conduct disorder, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder or psychotic disorders. A teacher may have multiple students with an emotional impairment, however that does not mean individual accommodations are the same.

It is important to know a student’s background before suggesting a student has an emotional impairment.  The hardest part is determining if a student is emotionally impaired or socially maladjusted; it is important to note that emotional impairment does not include students who are socially maladjusted. Below is a chart that illustrates some differences between a student with an emotional disturbance and a student who is socially maladjusted.

Also, emotional impairment does not cover students whose behavior is primarily the result of intellectual, sensory or health factors.  If a student is diagnosed with another disability, he cannot be diagnosed with an emotional impairment. Teachers need to know their students and what triggers their behavior.

Accommodations for Individual Student:
Students with emotional disorders normally have academic troubles. An “effective educational program for students with emotional disorders will provide emotional and behavioral supports that foster the replacement of problem behaviors with more appropriate behaviors.”

On the Detroit Public School’s website, it listed the following direct and indirect intervention strategies school social workers impliment to help a student with an emotional impairment to succeed in school:
Direct Services:
Individual and Group Therapy
Individualized academic and curricular interventions outlined in the IEP
Classroom-based interventions
Consultations with teachers, parents and other service providers to harmonize approaches to inappropriate behavior
Effective discipline strategies
Crisis planning and management
Peer Group discussions on behavioral/emotional issues
Family counseling
Assertive discipline
Participation in the development of Functional Assessment and Behavior Intervention Plans
Indirect Services:
Frequent conferences with parents
Send positive notes home regarding student’s behavior
Encourage classmates of student to involve student in social interactions if student is withdrawn or shy
Encourage counselors, teachers, administrators and parents to have student utilize daily progress reports
Parenting education and support groups
Facilitates referrals of children and families to appropriate community resources
Maintain case files with required documents on all active cases

It is important for teachers to build trusting relationships with emotionally impaired students. When students feel safe and comfortable in their learning environment, it will be an easier adjustment for students.
Focusing on positive reinforcement is an effective teaching strategy. 

Curricular Modifications
 In my classroom for TE 401/402, there was a student with an emotional impairment; this particular student was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He did not like being around a lot people and struggled when there was loud noise (loud noise triggered aggressive behavior). 

The accommodations my teacher made for this student were not academic; instead they were social accommodations. This student did not eat lunch in the cafeteria and did not participate in specials (gym and music) due to the noise and chaotic environment.

My mentor teacher had the students’ desks organized in groups of four. This student, however, did not sit in groups; he sat off by himself like he preferred. Also, my mentor teacher was very positive with this student; every interaction she had with the student was positive. 

Resources:
I used the following resources:
http://projectidealonline.org/emotionalDisturbance.php
http://detroitk12.org/ossws/ei_laws.php
http://detroitk12.org/ossws/intervention.php
http://nichcy.org/disability/specific/emotionaldisturbance#def
http://www.schoolpsychologistfiles.com/EmDisability.html#vsSocialMal
http://www.pacer.org/parent/php/PHP-c81.pdf