Today I got the opportunity to speak with a mother of a child who has been diagnosed with Autism. I understand that Autism is not technically an emotional disturbance but at the same time these parents have similarities in their daily stress and/or struggle. She mentioned a website that she had found that provided her family with a lot of support and emotional comfort in their lives.
After reviewing the site, it does provide families with useful information such as where support groups are located and connects families together who are going through the same challenges day to day.
http://nichcy.org/disability/specific/emotionaldisturbance
Friday, April 27, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Emotionally Disturbed Child as a... "Scapegoat"?
As I search the web in hopes of enlightenment and discovery into the world of emotional disturbances, I found an article titled, "The Emotionally Disturbed Child as a Family Scapegoat" by Ezra F. Vogel and Norman W. Bell. In order to view the full article you must subscribe to the website (which is worth it!).
Anyways, I started thinking about how the struggle of raising a child who is emotionally disturbed could/may tear a family apart. Connecting this to my own life, my daughter, who is what society would consider "normal" was a struggle for her father as the daily demand of raising a child was too great for our relationship to overcome. I couldn't image the stress placed on parents with children who have special needs.
When thinking of a child who is emotionally disturbed or not, unless parents embrace their children fully the demand may be to great to keep the positive connection between all family members. This lead me to a family counseling site in which they implemented short-term therapy using a method known as Zuk's (go between process) and the study should improvement of the interpersonal functioning of the family.
http://www.mendeley.com/research/short-term-family-therapy-emotionally-disturbed-children/
Anyways, I started thinking about how the struggle of raising a child who is emotionally disturbed could/may tear a family apart. Connecting this to my own life, my daughter, who is what society would consider "normal" was a struggle for her father as the daily demand of raising a child was too great for our relationship to overcome. I couldn't image the stress placed on parents with children who have special needs.
When thinking of a child who is emotionally disturbed or not, unless parents embrace their children fully the demand may be to great to keep the positive connection between all family members. This lead me to a family counseling site in which they implemented short-term therapy using a method known as Zuk's (go between process) and the study should improvement of the interpersonal functioning of the family.
http://www.mendeley.com/research/short-term-family-therapy-emotionally-disturbed-children/
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Family Resources
In my self guided search for information about different Emotional Issues found in children I came across a website for The National Association of Parents with Children in Special Education (NAPCSE). It has a lot of good resources such as books and publications for families. While browsing the site I came across this information: Children with the most serious emotional disturbances may exhibit distorted thinking, excessive anxiety, bizarre motor acts, and abnormal mood swings. Some are identified as children who have a severe psychosis or schizophrenia.
This statement made me think of one of my placements. Within the building that I was placed there were a high number of students diagnosed with "Anxiety" some of which had visible symptoms and others in which many staff members questioned. I can remember the principal saying at one staff meeting that he couldn't believe the number of students with anxiety, and how he thought that it was crazy. When he was younger there was no such thing: young children with anxiety.
It just so happened that I had a young boy with anxiety in my classroom. He was a perfect student with perfect grades (3rd grade). If you were to come in the classroom at any given time, you would not see any sort of "out break". His anxiety had to do with food. He would not eat at school (at all). I can remember thinking, he has to be hungry he hasn't ate anything all day and each day his parents would pack his lunch. The point to sharing this story is some disorders aren't what you think they would be, some go unnoticed unless you really know the child.
Below is a link to the NAPCSE site, I think this is a great resource for anyone interested in learning more about Special Education and Emotional Disturbances.
http://www.napcse.org/exceptionalchildren/emotionaldisturbance/
This statement made me think of one of my placements. Within the building that I was placed there were a high number of students diagnosed with "Anxiety" some of which had visible symptoms and others in which many staff members questioned. I can remember the principal saying at one staff meeting that he couldn't believe the number of students with anxiety, and how he thought that it was crazy. When he was younger there was no such thing: young children with anxiety.
It just so happened that I had a young boy with anxiety in my classroom. He was a perfect student with perfect grades (3rd grade). If you were to come in the classroom at any given time, you would not see any sort of "out break". His anxiety had to do with food. He would not eat at school (at all). I can remember thinking, he has to be hungry he hasn't ate anything all day and each day his parents would pack his lunch. The point to sharing this story is some disorders aren't what you think they would be, some go unnoticed unless you really know the child.
Below is a link to the NAPCSE site, I think this is a great resource for anyone interested in learning more about Special Education and Emotional Disturbances.
http://www.napcse.org/exceptionalchildren/emotionaldisturbance/
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Classifying Emotionally disturbed Children
I came across an article today as I was doing a little research into emotional illnesses in which gave five principals that are used when considering children with an emotional disability.
To be considered and classified emotionally disturbed, specific criteria must be met based on federal legislation which includes:
(1)the child has difficulty learning which is not associated with a health factor, cognitive ability, or sensory issues;
(2)the child has difficulty with his interpersonal relationships with classmates and adults;
(3)the child demonstrates unusual types of behavior in normal circumstances;
(4)the child appears depressed or generally unhappy;
(5) the child becomes physically ill or demonstrates fears associated with school.
I think it helps to understand how they are diagnosing children in order to understand the effects this may have on their siblings. I also found this book on Amazon titled The Normal One: Life with a Difficult or Damaged Sibling by Jeanne Safer. "In this first-of-its-kind book, psychotherapist Jeanne Safer takes us into the hidden world of problem siblings and explores the far-reaching effects on the lives of those who are considered the “normal ones.” I think this book would give me an inside scoop as to what life is really from their point of view.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Normal-One-Difficult-Damaged/dp/0385337566
To be considered and classified emotionally disturbed, specific criteria must be met based on federal legislation which includes:
(1)the child has difficulty learning which is not associated with a health factor, cognitive ability, or sensory issues;
(2)the child has difficulty with his interpersonal relationships with classmates and adults;
(3)the child demonstrates unusual types of behavior in normal circumstances;
(4)the child appears depressed or generally unhappy;
(5) the child becomes physically ill or demonstrates fears associated with school.
I think it helps to understand how they are diagnosing children in order to understand the effects this may have on their siblings. I also found this book on Amazon titled The Normal One: Life with a Difficult or Damaged Sibling by Jeanne Safer. "In this first-of-its-kind book, psychotherapist Jeanne Safer takes us into the hidden world of problem siblings and explores the far-reaching effects on the lives of those who are considered the “normal ones.” I think this book would give me an inside scoop as to what life is really from their point of view.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Normal-One-Difficult-Damaged/dp/0385337566
Monday, April 9, 2012
Hello and Welcome to my Blog! Over the next eight weeks, I will be discussing Children who are emotionally Disturbed, specifically how their siblings cope and the effects placed on their lives from their brother or sister who suffers emotionally. This idea came to me last Wednesday, my Daughter, Haley and I decided to go to the park near our home. It was a perfect day to fly a kite and families were doing just that. I quickly noticed three young boys with their grandmother playing. The oldest boy when asked to let his younger brother fly his kite, immediately had an emotional outbreak and resisted. With much encouragement his grandmother finally convinced the young man to share his kite. The wind took off and the kite ended up getting tangled. I wasn't prepared for what I was going to hear next. The young man proceeded to tell his younger brothers (three and five-years-old) that he was going to kill them and his emotions had visibly taken over.
His siblings acted as if this behavior was nothing new. His grandmother began talking to me as we were standing in close proximity. I couldn't help but to feel sorrow for the siblings of the emotionally disturbed young man. All of Grandma's attention was placed on this one child (as it needed to be) and the other boys just "took a back seat" so to say. And my curiosity for coping and handling a sibling who is Emotionally Disturbed began, over the next few weeks I hope you, as the reader, learn and grow along side of me to bring awareness to this topic. Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope you enjoy!
His siblings acted as if this behavior was nothing new. His grandmother began talking to me as we were standing in close proximity. I couldn't help but to feel sorrow for the siblings of the emotionally disturbed young man. All of Grandma's attention was placed on this one child (as it needed to be) and the other boys just "took a back seat" so to say. And my curiosity for coping and handling a sibling who is Emotionally Disturbed began, over the next few weeks I hope you, as the reader, learn and grow along side of me to bring awareness to this topic. Thanks for visiting my blog and I hope you enjoy!
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