Children and youth with emotional and behavioural disorders [EBD] have complex needs that span an array of service providers (Stroul & Friedman, 1994; VanDenBerg, 2008) and given the paucity of supports for this population they may not receive the support that they require (Burns et al., 1995; Farmer et al., 2003). There is a considerable amount of research that supports the integration of services for children and youth with EBD through the wraparound approach (VanDenBerg, Osher, & Lourie, 2009). There also is research that supports the notion that community schools may provide the most effective host environment for the integration and provision of support for this population (Dryfoos & Maguire, 2002; Grossman & Vang, 2009). However, there is limited Canadian research about the efficacy of the wraparound approach in the context of a community school. In order to explore this issue a qualitative, multi-case study was conducted of three community schools in the province of Manitoba to determine the extent to which community schools foster interdisciplinary collaboration and may support the implementation of the wraparound approach (Bruns, Suter, Force, & Burchard, 2005; Bruns, Walker, & The National Wraparound Initiative Advisory Group, 2008; Goldman, 1999). The findings from this study suggest that at the practice level, the community schools that were studied fostered collaboration and the integration of support. In addition, the community schools that were studied possessed many of the requisite conditions that support the implementation of the wraparound approach as a process to guide individualized planning for children and youth with complex needs. Barriers to the full-scale implementation of the wraparound approach in the context of the community schools were identified and primarily included system level constraints on collaborative practices. Future research may involve piloting the implementation of the wraparound approach as outlined in the “Wraparound Protocol for Children and Youth with Severe to Profound Emotional and Behavioural Disorders,” (Healthy Child Manitoba, 2013) in designated community schools within the province of Manitoba in order to build upon the strengths of community schools as effective host environments for the implementation of the wraparound approach and also to identify the means by which the system level constraints to collaborative practices might be overcome. / February 2016

There is considerable controversy in the research literature concerning meeting the needs of children and youth with Emotional and Behavioural Disorders (EBD). Collaborative models of service delivery have shown promising results in effectively meeting the needs of students with disabilities. The objective of this study was to examine the association between service providers adherence to the fundamental elements of a collaborative process called Wraparound and measures of students maladaptive behaviours, behavioural strengths, and functional impairment. <p>The current research investigated 23 students who were experiencing impaired functioning in the school, family, and/or community as a result of behavioural difficulties. Twelve of the students were engaged in Wraparound services and 11 were receiving conventional services. Adherence to the elements of Wraparound was determined using the Wraparound Fidelity Index (WFI; Bruns et al., 2005), a structured interview with the students primary caregivers. Maladaptive behaviours, behavioural strengths, and functional impairment were assessed via the students teachers completing the Behaviour Assessment System for Children (BASC; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 1992), Behavioural and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS-2; Epstein, 2004), and the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS; Hodges, 2005), respectively. Results of this research indicated that, overall, the students who received Wraparound services showed higher fidelity to the elements of Wraparound and more favourable behavioural outcomes than did the students engaged in the conventional model of service delivery. The correlation analysis of the association between adherence to the elements of Wraparound and the student outcome measures showed mixed results. A strong association was observed with statistical significance for the element of Youth and Family Team on all three outcome measures. This indicates the importance of an effective team in producing positive outcomes for the students and their families.

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers levels of training, perceptions of competence, and past and present practices regarding reading assessment for student with emotional and/or behavioural disorders (EBD). For the purpose of the study, EBD was defined as, a disability characterized by behavioural or emotional responses in school programs so different from appropriate age, cultural, or ethnic norms that they adversely affect educational performance, including academic, social, vocational or personal skills (Forness & Knitzer, 1992, p. 13). An adapted version of the survey entitled, A National Survey of the Training and Practice of School Psychologists in Reading Assessment and Intervention (Machek & Nelson, 2007) was distributed to approximately 200 teachers employed by a large urban school division in Western Canada. One hundred and seventy-five educators responded to a 24-question survey designed to explore teachers perceptions of reading instruction, intervention, and assessment for typically achieving students and students with EBD.<p> Descriptive analyses and analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were used to examine the mean responses of teachers levels or training, perceptions of competence, and past and present reading assessment practices. Teachers with varied levels of teaching experience and specialized training were found to have received little training (university and professional development) in the area of reading instruction and reading assessment for students with EBD. Furthermore, educators believed they have a low level of expertise and confidence in the area of reading assessment and instruction, and believed they would benefit from additional training.

There is considerable controversy in the research literature concerning meeting the needs of children and youth with Emotional and Behavioural Disorders (EBD). Collaborative models of service delivery have shown promising results in effectively meeting the needs of students with disabilities. The objective of this study was to examine the association between service providers adherence to the fundamental elements of a collaborative process called Wraparound and measures of students maladaptive behaviours, behavioural strengths, and functional impairment. <p>The current research investigated 23 students who were experiencing impaired functioning in the school, family, and/or community as a result of behavioural difficulties. Twelve of the students were engaged in Wraparound services and 11 were receiving conventional services. Adherence to the elements of Wraparound was determined using the Wraparound Fidelity Index (WFI; Bruns et al., 2005), a structured interview with the students primary caregivers. Maladaptive behaviours, behavioural strengths, and functional impairment were assessed via the students teachers completing the Behaviour Assessment System for Children (BASC; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 1992), Behavioural and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS-2; Epstein, 2004), and the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS; Hodges, 2005), respectively. Results of this research indicated that, overall, the students who received Wraparound services showed higher fidelity to the elements of Wraparound and more favourable behavioural outcomes than did the students engaged in the conventional model of service delivery. The correlation analysis of the association between adherence to the elements of Wraparound and the student outcome measures showed mixed results. A strong association was observed with statistical significance for the element of Youth and Family Team on all three outcome measures. This indicates the importance of an effective team in producing positive outcomes for the students and their families.

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers levels of training, perceptions of competence, and past and present practices regarding reading assessment for student with emotional and/or behavioural disorders (EBD). For the purpose of the study, EBD was defined as, a disability characterized by behavioural or emotional responses in school programs so different from appropriate age, cultural, or ethnic norms that they adversely affect educational performance, including academic, social, vocational or personal skills (Forness & Knitzer, 1992, p. 13). An adapted version of the survey entitled, A National Survey of the Training and Practice of School Psychologists in Reading Assessment and Intervention (Machek & Nelson, 2007) was distributed to approximately 200 teachers employed by a large urban school division in Western Canada. One hundred and seventy-five educators responded to a 24-question survey designed to explore teachers perceptions of reading instruction, intervention, and assessment for typically achieving students and students with EBD.<p> Descriptive analyses and analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were used to examine the mean responses of teachers levels or training, perceptions of competence, and past and present reading assessment practices. Teachers with varied levels of teaching experience and specialized training were found to have received little training (university and professional development) in the area of reading instruction and reading assessment for students with EBD. Furthermore, educators believed they have a low level of expertise and confidence in the area of reading assessment and instruction, and believed they would benefit from additional training.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), according to the DSM-IV-TR, is a developmental disorder that is first identified in childhood, where children display inattention and hyperactivity, impulsivity or a combination thereof. This PhD study focuses on understanding and explaining how educators understand learners who may have ADHD in their classrooms. The main research question is: “How do educators experience learners in their classrooms who may have ADHD? ”The main research question was developed into sub-questions: 1) How do educators experience teaching and teaching the learner who may have ADHD? 2) How do educators manage their classrooms with learners in their classrooms, who may have ADHD? 3) How has the experience of educating learners who may have ADHD influenced or affected the educator? A narrative research design was employed, whereby 17 educators, from three different schools from Gauteng were interviewed. Informed consent was collected from all participants. The textual data was analysed using content theme analysis. The educators’ narratives varied according to teaching experience and maturity within the diverse context of the school environment. Five themes emerged from the data generated from the study. Findings from the study indicate that: (1) learners who may have ADHD appear to be treated differently from the other learners; (2) the educators’ keep learners who may have ADHD busy with different activities as one of the methods most commonly used in managing learners who may have ADHD; (3) the educators feel that learners who may have ADHD challenge them; (4) educators feel that they need to be able to share information with other educators on how to manage and support learners who may have ADHD and that they need outside assistance from a specialist and (5) the educators feel that parents do not pull their part in assisting educators and/or learners who may have ADHD. Subsequent to the theme analysis two interviews were then selected, instrumentally analysed and discussed in order to represent personalised accounts of educators’ experiences of learners who may have ADHD in their classrooms. Lastly, the themes have been presented as a narrative. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

The dissertation substantiates the efficacy of evidence-based teacher’s activity, teaching students with emotional and behavioural disorders in the general education school. The efficacy of evidence-based teacher’s activity is analysed according to two criteria: teacher’s learning-in-action and positive behaviour supports of the student with emotional and behavioural disorders. The qualitative study describes the teachers’ activities and experiences, defines the types of teachers’ activities and of developed interactions with the students with emotional and behavioural disorders. In order to go further into the developed interactions of the student with emotional and behavioural disorders, into the reality of the educational process and change it by encouraging evidence-based teachers’ activities and positive behaviour supports of the student with emotional and behavioural disorders, participatory action research was carried out. The reflection of the researcher’s role discloses the researcher’s versatile involvement and influence on the research process, permanently observing and actualising the researcher’s personal interaction with the participants, personal reactions, relating theoretical concepts, practical activities and reflections. The dissertation provides detailed definitions of the concepts of students with emotional and behavioural disorders, and of the structure and principles of evidence-based teacher’s activity; action took place in the reality of the... [to full text] / Disertacijoje pagrindžiamas įrodymais grįstos mokytojo veiklos veiksmingumas, ugdant emocijų ir elgesio sutrikimų turinčius mokinius bendrojo lavinimo mokykloje. Įrodymais grįstos mokytojo veiklos veiksmingumas analizuojamas dviem kriterijais: mokytojo mokymasis veikiant bei emocijų ir elgesio sutrikimų turinčio mokinio pozityvaus elgesio palaikymas. Atlikus kokybinį tyrimą, apibūdinamos mokytojų veiklos ir patirtys, apibrėžiami mokytojų vykdomų veiklų, konstruojamų sąveikų su emocijų ir elgesio sutrikimų turinčiu mokiniu tipai. Vykdyti veiklos tyrimai dalyvaujant, siekiant giliau pažinti emocijų ir elgesio sutrikimų turinčio mokinio ugdymo proceso realybę bei ją keisti, skatinant įrodymais grįstas mokytojų veiklas bei emocijų ir elgesio sutrikimų turinčio mokinio pozityvaus elgesio palaikymą. Atlikta tyrėjos vaidmens refleksija atskleidžia visapusišką tyrėjos įsitraukimą ir įtaką tyrimo procesui, nuolat stebint ir aktualizuojant asmeninę tyrėjos sąveiką su dalyviais, asmenines reakcijas, susiejant teorinius konceptus, praktines veiklas ir refleksijas. Disertacijoje detaliai apibrėžiami emocijų ir elgesio sutrikimų turinčių mokinių ugdymo konceptai, įrodymais grįstos mokytojo veiklos struktūra ir principai, pristatomos ugdymo proceso realybėje vykdytos veiklos. Remiantis atlikto disertacinio tyrimo rezultatais, pateikiamos empiriškai pagrįstos praktinės rekomendacijos mokiniams, tėvams, mokytojams ir specialistams bei mokslininkams.

Bullying, in its many different face-to-face and cyber manifestations, profoundly impacts involved youth, particularly those with special education needs. Schools have typically focused on policing the bullies, while teaching victims of bullying effective reactive responses. The objective of this study was to identify those students at greatest risk, the factors placing them at risk, and to understand the source of their consequently aggressive social behaviours and communication. Understanding root causes thereby enables schools to shift toward proactively preventing bullying behaviours. Evidence suggests that adolescents with Emotional and Behavioural Disorders (EBD) are overrepresented in the face-to-face bullying dynamic. Through a social-ecological lens, the current study compares bullying involvement among typically developing adolescents (n = 134) with EBD adolescents (n = 30), and considers how within-person characteristics of adolescents with EBD are influenced by and interact with bi-directional microsystem (i.e. family, friends, teachers, school) and macrosystem (i.e. social and educational patterns of programming) factors to increase or decrease face-to-face- and cyber-bullying involvement. As hypothesized, adolescents with EBD were significantly more involved in both face-to-face- and cyber-bullying and –victimization. Predictive factors were uniquely identified for on- and off-line bullying and victimization. The current findings demonstrate a need to approach bullying prevention proactively by aiming resources at the source of social aggression. / Graduate