ED, LD, and Mental Health Issues in the Regular Classroom: Tips for Teachers
Instructor: Tammy Berg
Grading: Letter or S/U
Spring, Summer & Fall (Ongoing)
Instruction Mode: Correspondence
Academic Level: K-12 Professional Development
NDSU Credit Fee: $345
Partner Class Offered Through S.C.T. Continuing Education Services
In an age when more and more children and adolescents with disabilities and mental health issues are being educated in regular classrooms, educators look to find teaching strategies that are geared toward accommodating pupils with diverse learning needs. This course combines concise overviews of disabilities and links them to practical suggestions aimed at creating functional learning environments for students in a regular classroom setting. This course touches on issues such as mood disorders, various forms of learning disabilities, emotional disabilities, ADHD, and other areas of need that approximately 20% of all students may well possess.This course also introduces instructional strategies within a response-to-intervention (RTI) framework. How RTI can improve schools and how it can be applied to specific reading, math, writing, and classroom management practices are introduced. The projected outcome of this course is to provide classroom teachers with the knowledge, understanding, and methodologies needed to design academic and behavioral interventions that will positively impact student learning.
As a result of participation in this course, students will:
1. Identify the behavioral, demographic, and functional characteristics of behavior disorders.
2. Prepare instructional strategies within a response-to-intervention (RTI) framework for students with learning and emotional disabilities.
3. Create considerations for Reading, Math, and Writing instruction for students with behavior disorders.
4. Interpret the role of schools in addressing mental health, behavioral and learning disorders, especially within the RTI framework.
5. Differentiate classroom strategies for anxiety, mood, communication, ADHD, and other social and emotional disorders.
6. Recall tips for helping students who have disruptive behavior disorders such as ODD and CD.
Text / Readings:
The required reading is found in the following texts and articles:
Anderson, P. & Corbett, L. (2008). Literature circles for students with learning disabilities. Intervention in school and clinic, 44, 25-33.
Cooley, M. (2007). Teaching kids with mental health & learning disorders in the regular classroom. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing, Inc.
Mesmer, E. & Mesmer H. A. (2008). Response to intervention (RTI): what teachers of reading need to know. The Reading Teacher, 62, 280-290.
Patton, B., Jolivette, K. & Ramsey, M (2006). Students with emotional and behavioral disorders can manage their own behavior. Teaching Exceptional Children, 39, 14-21.
Pierangela, R. & Giuliani, G. (2008). Classroom management for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. New York: Guilford Press.
Regan, K. (2003). Using dialogue journals in the classroom. Teaching exceptional children, 36, 36-41.
Stormont, M. (2008). Increase academic success for children with ADHD using sticky notes and highlighters. Intervention is school and clinic, 43, 305-308.