Many children who are labeled with a behavior disorder are never given an explaination as to what this exactly means. This causes children to worry, and often wonder if something is wrong or abnormal with them. Every child deserves to be given the opportunity to learn what BD means, as well as what it DOES NOT mean. I feel like the school system, and the parents of a child with BD, should team up together; they should provide each child with distinct information and resources so that they can clearly understand their individual challenges they are having, as well as ideas and goals for improvement-in a language THEY can understand! An IEP is likely not something that many children will take interest in; instead, perhaps a behavior survival guide for kids should be provided!
BD does not mean that you are "bad," "crazy," or "retarted." It is tough for a child with BD because the above can be common labels that they receive. A child who is deemed "bad" does not mean he or she is a "bad" person. Children need to know this! Yes, a child may exhibit "bad" behavior sometimes, or make poor choices, but this clearly does not make them "bad." It is important to convey to children with BD that hey can learn to make better choices and handle their feelings in a more pleasing way. When a child "acts out" or makes a scene in public, other children may refer to this child as "crazy." People who are "crazy" have no control over what they do; though it may be a challenge, each child does have control over many behaviors. A child with BD often means they are placed in special classes. Some kids believe that everyone placed in special classes is "retarted." Kids are in special education classes for many different reasons; each individual child warrants a reason why.
Whether a child needs to learn how to make better choices, or just learn in a different way, it is crucial to a child's self esteem that they are greatly included in their special education placement. Children who are labeled BD surely have many questions and concerns. It is our duty as professionals to provide this information for them so that each child knows it is okay if you require extra help; no one is perfect!
I agree with this. I think that's a great idea to have meetings with students, parents and teachers. I also agree with the "bad" label. Students feel bc they're labeled BD they're bad, I think other teachers view the students labeled BD as "bad" also, these teachers also need to be included in the meetings!
ReplyDeleteExactly. I am currently working in an alternative behavior class. Whenever the kids work their way out of the program (through a point system) they go back to regular classrooms. It seems like because they already have the "bad" label teachers are less tolerant and almost looking for them to mess up. They already want them out of the class because they do not want to deal with any disruptions in class.
ReplyDeleteThis post is very well said. However, I feel depending on the age of the child, there are different appropriate ways of telling the child about their BD. Every child deserves to know why they are in special education. I think this should initially be told to the child by the parent. Then the parent and teacher can work as a team to help the child in all aspects needed to make the child excel and understand his/her BD.
ReplyDeleteGreat job on this post! This is actually the area in which I am planning to work. I am very glad to see that you pointed out that we need to explain these issues to children in a language that they understand, and we also need to educate others that BD does not mean "bad." In my experience, I have also come to realize that many children in behavioral classrooms or progams may not even have a diagnosed BD. Kids often display behaviors that they have learned directly from their environment. In addition to explaining this issue to the children, we need to explain to parents or other caregivers just how they impact their child's learning when they themselves behave in certain manners. This is true, I believe, for all children, not just those with a BD.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely Brittany! We have to look at the child's home environment to see what is going on and what past traumas the child has had so we know what we are dealing with.
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