Education of Students with Challenging Behaviour arising from Severe Emotional Disturbance/Behavioural Disorders

INTO Special Education Conference8th December 2012

NCSE

Supports an inclusive education that enables students to achieve their potential

Provides schools with the additional educational supports necessary to help pupils with special educational needs receive an appropriate education

Commissions and conducts research and Provides expert, independent and evidence-

informed policy advice to the Minister for Education and Skills on special education for children and young adults

1. Special schools for students with severe EBD were finding it exceedingly difficult to cater for the needs of some of their students

2. Some young people, with a clinical diagnosis of EBD, were not attending and/or engaging with school because of extreme levels of challenging behaviour

3. Levels of challenging behaviour are posing extreme challenges to the educational system, both in meeting the needs of the presenting students and those students with whom they are to be educated

Why did we develop this policy advice?

What students are the focus of the paper?

Focus: 20-30 students with most acute needs at the extreme end of the continuum of students with EBD

Issues also arose in relation to the education of students within the broader categories of EBD and severe EBD and proposals were made regarding the issues identified

An overview is provided of education and health supports and pathways towards intervention for all students along the continuum of EBD

Evidence Base

National and international research Views expressed during consultation

process Experiences of NCSE Council

members and staff Visits to two special schools for

severe EBD Feedback from relevant people on

the draft paper

Principles

Inclusive environment Early identification and intervention Attendance at local schools, where

possible Education available on an

appropriate basis throughout the country

Behaviours include:

Repeated acts of physical aggression towards other students and staff, including violent kicking, punching and biting

Breaking up furniture, throwing chairs and tables at staff and other children

Bringing weapons to school, such as knives and scissors

Breaking glass and using it as a weapon Students making their own weapons and using these

in a dangerous or threatening manner Repeated incidence of offensive verbal assault and

threatening behaviour Violent head-butting and spitting Self-injurious actions for example cutting, head

banging persistent scraping of skin, suicidal attempts etc.

Main Recommendations : mainstream schools

Early Intervention Whole School Approaches

Implementation of NEPS guidelines Validated educational programmes

Expertise in the management of challenging behaviour every teacher is up-skilled in the management

of behaviour each school has one teacher with specialist

training in behaviour management.

Main Recommendations for mainstream schools

Additional supports to be time-bound, reviewed regularly and conditional on the development of an individual education plan which includes educational and behavioural targets

Main Recommendations: Special Schools and Classes

NEPS should provide comprehensive service to special schools/classes

Staffing levels must be sufficient to ensure that students are enabled to learn and safety of students is ensured

Schools enabled to provide structured engagement with parents

Special schools should be fit for purpose Any new buildings should be located,

where possible on the campus of a mainstream school

Main recommendations: Students with exceptionally challenging behaviour

Timely access to CAMHS teams and other social services, if required

Comprehensive and multi-disciplinary assessment of child’s needs when referred to health services

Mandatory training for teachers and SNAs upon appointment to special schools for severe EBD

Teaching provision in special schools catering for students with exceptionally challenging behaviours arising from severe EBD should be increased

DES to issue clear guidelines regarding realistic and appropriate measures to be taken to contain children during episodes of violent behaviour

Main recommendations: Students with exceptionally challenging behaviour

Parents to be clearly informed of the schools code of behaviour, including the practices in place for containment and protection of the child during violent episodes

Whole school support should be available through NEPS following critical incidences of a seriously violent nature

Appropriate security systems to be in place in classrooms for children with severe EBD

Some facts

In 2011-2012:

Over €600m in additional resource teaching and care supports were allocated to schools by the NCSE to support up to 35,000 students with special educational needs

Of this, €200m of additional teaching and care supports were sanctioned by the NCSE to assist schools in the management of behaviour

Of this, resource teaching posts cost c€65m and care supports at a cost of c€150m

NCSE allocated these teaching and care supports to approximately 12,000 children where the management of behaviour was a contributory factor.

Some facts

The demand for additional teaching supports to support children with behavioural disorders has increased by 23% since 2009.

Cost of implementing NCSE recommendations is c. €12m.

Finally

Report has been presented to the Minister who is now considering the recommendations