Behavioral Concerns

I would suggest reading the posts on the different boards at this site. Although it will take time to do so, I suspect that you’ll get a greater understanding than you would if someone were to answer your questions directly. The parents’ sites and the site on social skills will prove particularly helpful in understanding home and community life.

Also, imagine being a teacher and having a child with behavioral problems in your class. If you try to imagine what it would be like for you and for the other children if a child had problems like tantrums, hitting, getting into fights, hyperactivity, etc., you’ll be on your way to answering your question.

I think that in order to really understand the children with whom you’re preparing to work, you need to gain not only intellectual, but also emotional understanding. By doing some of the things I’ve suggested, I think you’ll gain more emotional understanding.

Check out behavioradvisor.com It is run by a college professor and has a message board as well as lots of great behavior management stuff!

There’s no generalization that can be made in my opinion about the home lives of students with behavioral disorders. Any home with a child with issues is under some strain.

The problems caused by students with behavioral disorders fall into two catagories. The issues they cause to themselves and the issues that fall onto the other students in the class. My concern as a teacher is with both of those catagories.

As I must contend with the student with a behavioral disorder and work to manage that student, I expend disproportionate amounts of energy and time on one student. The other students’ need are not being met and soon their behavior falls out as well.