Engaging Young People with Emotional &

Behavioural Difficulties

Quentin Gunderson (‘Q’)Director Gap Education & Training

Film – Stories of Transformation

Engaging Young People with Emotional &

Behavioural Difficulties

Quentin Gunderson (‘Q’)Director Gap Education & Training

Narrowing the gap for UK children & families

Running Order• Intros – Who’s in the room• Session 1 (55 minutes) – Understanding EBD• Group Activity (15 minutes) – Putting it into practise• Break (20 minutes) – Refreshments and networking• Feedback from group activity.• Session 2 (45 minutes) – Providing for young people

with EBD• Review

Engaging Young People with Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties

UNDERSTANDING EBD?

Session 1 (45 minutes)By the end of this session you will have:- Understood why some children and young people have EBD- Know some of the strategies that we can use to manage these YP

Engaging Young People with Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties

Case StudyJack is 13 and lives with his mother and older brother. His parents split up when he was 6 and he sees his dad occasionally. His mum finds him hard to manage. She describes him as ‘always on the go’, restless and argumentative. The only thing that keeps him occupied is playing video games, often violent ones. He has begun to associate with some older boys on the estate who are trouble. He rarely sits still for long, talks incessantly, calls out inappropriately, and often gets into arguments with other pupils over things like equipment or who sits where.He works best on practical activities. He is achieving below expectations in school. He has severe literacy difficulties. However he is good in some areas of Maths such as shape and space. He doesn’t recall number facts easily and reverses numbers like 12 instead of 21. He considers himself to be ‘stupid’. His Primary school teacher found him hard-work but likeable. ‘He’s often so sorry for the things he does wrong’ she said, ‘even if he then just goes and does them again’. She felt his difficulties were due to the temporary teachers he had in infant school. His present teacher is driven to tears by his behaviour on the bad days.

Engaging Young People with Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties

What is EBD/BESD?Government guidance provides the following description of BESD:“Pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties cover the full range of ability and continuum of severity. Their behaviours present a barrier to learning (development) and persist despite the implementation of an effective (school) behaviour policy and personal/social curriculum. They may be withdrawn or isolated, disruptive and disturbing, hyperactive and lack concentration, have immature social skills or present challenging behaviours.”

Engaging Young People with Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties

Engaging Young People with Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties

Nature or Nurture?

What might be the causes of EBD in the young people that you work with?

What separated Children with EBD from their peers?

Engaging Young People with Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties

Strategies that help• Small groups, 1:1’s• Assigning key workers• Careful monitoring and

targeting• Structured routine• Individual plans• SMART targets• Clear guidelines• Involving parents/ carers/

family

• Rewarding positive behaviour

• Enhancing personal development

• Support to manage behaviour

• Anger management work• Counselling or peer support• Restorative work• Activities where YP will

succeed

Engaging Young People with Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties

The ABC model•W

hat is the context for the behaviour?

A

•Antecedents

B

•Behaviour

C

•Consequences

•What usually happens afterwards?

Engaging Young People with Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties

GROUP ACTIVITY – PUTTING IT INTO PRACTISE.

You have 15 minutes for the group activity that’s on the handout. We will discuss our outcomes after the break.

Engaging Young People with Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties

20 MINUTE BREAKTime to get some refreshments and do some networking!

At their initial meeting, Kyanne, his Mum and his Referrer are all in agreement that he is lazy at school. He doesn’t enjoy working for long periods of time, doesn’t want a job in the future and so is not motivated by qualifications. When asked what he wants to do, he replied “dunno.” He shrinks further into his hoody. When asked about any learning or behaviour targets that he would like to set himself, he replies ,“Be good in school.” When you ask what he means, he replies,“Dunno.”

Why might Kyanne be behaving in this way?How could you best support him to improve his

behaviour?

At their initial meeting, Abbie’s Aunty and Referrer go into great detail about a recent incident of fighting at school that have led to this referral. When you begin drawing Abbie into this conversation, she shows herself to be articulate, open and increasingly expressive. When asked what she wants to do in the future she replies ,“Run my own business.” When asked about any learning or behaviour targets that she would like to set herself Abbie replies ,“Loads! But targets don’t work. I’ve had all kinds of targets, mentors and support workers. And when I’m with them, I feel like I can do this, but when I’m with my friends, and some girl looks at me like dirt, I just need to batter her. So, I suppose ‘be nicer to people’ could be my target.”

Why might Abbie have Emotional, Behavioural, or Social difficulties?

What strategies could you use to help improve her behaviour?

Engaging Young People with Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties

PROVIDING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH BESD.

Session 2 (45 minutes)By the end of this session you will:- Be aware of effective approaches for meeting the needs of young people with

EBD.- Be familiar with some of the styles and approaches that are appropriate for

young people with EBD.

Aarons’ story

Aarons’ story

Engaging Young People with Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties

Building Relationships• Valuing– Finding out what they are good at– Helping them to become ‘expert’– Giving responsibility, getting them to help you– Ask their opinion– Recording their achievements– Giving reward or praise– Celebrating their successes

Engaging Young People with Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties

Building Relationships (cont’d)• Listening– Allow free expression (without saying anything)– Find time for 1:1 chats– Be empathic– Make space to talk about things that are going

well too

Engaging Young People with Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties

Building Relationships (cont’d)• Warmth– Take care to greet and say goodbye– Have lunch, eat together– Have fun or play a game– Invite over for a drink– Remember birthdays and send a card– Separate the behaviour from the pupil– Don’t be afraid to express that they matter to you

Engaging Young People with Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties

Building Relationships (cont’d)• Encouragement– Make it ok to get it wrong– Acknowledge when something is difficult– Focus on the process, not the product– Notice and build on strengths– Notice and celebrate all successes– Give specific praise

Engaging Young People with Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties

Removing Barriers• Positive behaviour management.– Eye contact, non-verbal signals wherever possible– Say what you want someone to do– Label the behaviour not the child– Remind the YP of the rule when they begin

misbehaving– Use the language of choice– Make an effort to catch them being good– Praising for specific things

Engaging Young People with Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties

Role Play time!• Working with a partner…

1. Decide who will be the young person first.2. The young person takes the scenarios and acts

them out one at a time.3. The Adult uses the positive language framework

to respond in the best way possible to support the young person.

4. After 5 minutes, swap around.

Engaging Young People with Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties

SESSION REVIEWFeedback, final questions and points for action.

Engaging Young People with Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties

Points for action

• What do I want to do next to develop my practise?

• How will I do this?• What timescale?• How will I know if I’ve been successful?• Do I need to involve anyone else?

Engaging Young People with Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties

Session Review

Please complete your session feedback sheets.

Thank you!