Understanding Learners with Emotional and Behavioural Disorders
There are different types of learners with EBD but we are going to focus on learners with depression
What is depression?
Depression is a mood disorder that negatively affects how one feels, the way he/she thinks and how he/she acts. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities that one once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease your ability to function at school and at home.
Questions
- Considering the age of learners you are going to teach, how likely is it for them to have depression?
- What can be the possible causes of their depression?
- classify the causes that you have thought of into their factors.
High school level learners can develop feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy over their grades, School performance, social status with peers, sexual orientation or family life can each have a major effect on how a learner feels.
How to identify a learner with depression in your classroom
Often learners with depression may exhibit these characteristics
- Irritability
- Anger
- Depressed mood
- Feelings of guilt
- Feeling helpless (“I can’t ever get my grades back up. It’s too late.”)
- Feelings of hopelessness (“I’ll never get into college. I have no future.”)
- Pervasive feelings of sadness or unhappiness
- Feeling worthless or like a disappointment
- Frequent crying
- Suicidal thoughts or behaviors
- Drug or alcohol use/ Vaping or smoking cigarettes
- Reckless behavior (such as driving too fast or having unprotected sex)
- Missing school
- Skipping out on important appointments
- Ignoring self-care (appearing unkempt, not showering regularly, or refusing regular medications)
- Social isolation
- Refusing to participate in normal daily activities
- Fighting with family and friends
- Self-harm (cutting, eating disorders)
- Poor grades
NB: watch the video below for some of the signs.
Question
Having talked about the indicators of learners with depression , why do you think it is necessary for teachers to provide specialized instruction to learners with depression?
Answer: Learners with depression can experience a range of symptoms that negatively affect their ability to attend and focus in school, their relationships, and their daily living skills and the disorder can seriously impair academic and interpersonal behavior at school.
NB: School personnel play a pivotal role in identifying depression—and intervening. Teachers, administrators, and other school staff must also be knowledgeable about depression.
How are you going to support a learner with depression in your class?
Depression can have broad negative effects on students' academic work and comfort in school, schools need to provide a variety of accommodations and instructional strategies to increase these students' success.
Strategies to Help Students with Depression
Give frequent feedback on academic, social, and behavioral performance.
Teach the student how to set goals and self-monitor.
Teach problem-solving skills.
Coach the student in ways to organize, plan, and execute tasks demanded daily or weekly in school.
Develop modifications and accommodations to respond to the student's fluctuations in mood, ability to concentrate, or side effects of medication. Assign one individual to serve as a primary contact and coordinate interventions.
Give the student opportunities to engage in social interactions.
Frequently monitor whether the student has suicidal thoughts.
Develop a home–school communication system to share information on the student's academic, social, and emotional behavior and any developments concerning medication or side effects.
Find additional reading material below
http://moodle.lce.ac.ls/pluginfile.php/63756/mod_page/content/5/Depression_Supporting_Students_at_School.pdf