Behavior Disorders: Post 3

 Shores, Richard E., Susan L. Jack, Philip L. Gunter, David N. Ellis, Terry J. Debriere, and Joseph H. Wehby. (1993):  Classroom Interactions of Children with Behavior Disorders. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders 1.1 27-39. EBSCOhost. Web. 27 Sept. 2015.

 Classroom Interactions of Children with Behavior Disorders

The article discusses observations of classrooms with students classified as having severe behavior disorders (SBD) and describes the social interactions of students to identify social stimuli that may control the students’ classroom behavior.  I found it interesting that the article looked at students with SBD in both segregated special education classrooms as well as general education classrooms to see if there was a big difference between compliance and noncompliance. The results showed that in the general education classroom, students without disabilities were more compliant than students with severe behavior disorders overall. However, students with SBD in the segregated special education classroom were more likely to engage in noncompliant behavior than those students with SBD in the general education setting. It seems that students in the segregated special education classroom were more noncompliant because it is what they were used to, as opposed to the general education students that had to adapt to certain classroom behavioral norms in order to succeed in that space. This article caused me to think about the differences I’ve seen in students when I substituted in both general education and special education classrooms.  

Many students in the special education classrooms were there for behavior issues, and I noticed that acting out was much more tolerated and not addressed as quickly as what is normally practiced in a general education setting. The article didn’t surprise me because I’ve seen the differences in classroom settings firsthand, so the results were definitely true to me. McKleskey Chapter 6 relates to this article in the way that it outlines that it is necessary to Expect Appropriate Behavior and that teachers should model appropriate behavior for students while remaining poised during stressful and frustrating situations. I believe that teachers should expectations for all students, even those known to have severe behavior disorders, so that they can come to learn the social norms of a general classroom setting.