Classroom Modifications for Students with Behavior and Emotional Disorders

2.  Prevent school failure – Students who are failing in school have more behavior problems. Did  you know that, according to the National Center on Education, Disability and Juvenile Justice, “The most common characteristics among individuals who are incarcerated is school failure and illiteracy” ?

A common problem I have seen on reservation schools is with students being put on home study or in alternative schools where very little learning takes place. The students are put out of the regular classroom so teachers and administrators don’t have to bother with them. This the absolute worst tactic to take. I do not advocate home study for students with behavior disorders simply because I have never seen it work. The student is sent home with work that he may or may not do with no teacher to explain it. A much more effective method is to have the student work individually with an aide or tutor. In many communities, Talent Search, Health Career Opportunities Project (HCOP) and other grant-funded programs provide tutors. Your tribal vocational rehabilitation program can also sometimes provide tutors. I am always dismayed when programs such as Talent Search tell me that the schools told them they have ‘enough tutors’ and did not need college students to assist.
Take advantage of every tutoring opportunity that you have. Have aides or tutors work with the students individually, in the classroom with their desks moved away from the rest of the students, in the library, in the hallway, in the resource room. Having the individual attention of an adult, who is more mature and less likely to react to negative behaviors, such as name-calling, reduces problem behaviors in several ways. The student has assistance with school work and is less likely to act out as a result of frustration. The adult is less likely to react to negative behaviors and escalate the problem. Attention from an adult is often rewarding to the student and he may try to act appropriately to continue this attention.
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