To what extent should I hold a student with emotional and behavioral disorders accountable for their conduct?

Question

To what extent should I hold a student with emotional and behavioral disorders accountable for their conduct?

Answer 1

Having a disability is no excuse for bad behavior!   Yeah sure, some characteristics of certain disabilities are bad temper tantrums, swearing, etc., but ALL children are teachable and should be taught another more acceptable form of behavior.  The earlier this is dealt with the better.

Bad behavior can be a form of communication too and you should look at what preceeds the bad behavior to see what is triggering it.

A behavior support plan is a good way to ensure that all of the people who are working with the student (teachers, therapists, parents) are on the same page and know what to do when a behavior occurs.

Answer 2

In a perfect world they should entirely accountable for their behavior, but in this perfect world this child is receiving all the support and instruction about how to deal with difficult situations appropriately such as anger, frustration and conflict. These children should be received explicit instruction in their core area of deficits that include explanation, role plays, in-vivo practice and feedback etc. If they act inappropriately given all these supports there is consequences for their behavior that are reasonable and consistent and a reinforcement of the educational procedures and targets that they have been taught. In no way does having this disability give you a free pass to act inappropriate, it only gives you a free pass to get the help so you don't act inappropriately. However if the child is not getting the support, instruction and services dictated by their needs then I think the people who should be most accountable are the adults responsible for providing this child's education.

Answer 3

They should have a positive behavior plan in place in their IEP. You should follow that plan to the letter!