Inclusive Education of Children with Emotional and Behavioral Problems

1. Inclusive Education of Children with Emotional and Behavioral Problems Riitta Viitala University of Jyväskylä, Finland Department of Special Education e-mail:riitta.viitala@edu.jyu.fi

2. Research questions • 1. What kind of children are named emotionally and behaviourally disordered? • 2. How this kind of children are socially integrated in their programs? (The topic of this prensentation.) • 3. What kind of pedagogic methods do the teachers use?

3. Method • Research is qualitative (ethnografhic) • Data is: • collected from three different kind of kindergarten classes • 1) general program • 2) integrated special education program • 3) special education program

4. Research group: general program • 23 children altogether • Three children with emotional and behavioral problems • Two early childhood teachers, one kindergarten practical nurse, one assistant • (In Finland most of the children with special needs go to this kind of ordinary preschool or kindergarten)

5. Research group: integrated special education program • 13 children altogether • Six children with special needs • Two children with emotional and behavioral problems • One special kindergarten teacher, one early childhood teacher, one kindergarten practical nurse

6. Research group: special education program • Seven children altogether • All of them had emotional and behavioral problems • Two special kindergarten teachers, one kindergarten practical nurse, one assistant

7. The data • Includes: • Observing memos*, interviews of the staff, children’s interviews*, documents (IEPs) • * the data of this presentation • Is categorized as social episodes: • shared activities • discussions concerning everyday events • community experiences • conflicts • playing alone

8. Case studies: Tim • Shared activities • very active • Discussions concerning everyday events • eager to take part in • Community experiences • creates them, participates

9. Case studies: Tim • Conflicts • quite a few • often the iniator • takes some part in incidents in which the aim is to exclude someone • Consequences • Tim is mostly included • has some friends • uncertain mentions of friendship, too

10. Case studies: Mary • Shared activities • participates to some extent • Discussions concerning everyday events • sometimes take part in • Community experiences • every now and then • always with the same girl

11. Case studies: Mary • Conflicts • extremely seldom, defends herself • tries not to exclude other children • Consequences • Mary is mostly excluded by • verbal name-calling • underestimation • direct verbal or physical rejection • teasing

12. Case studies: Henry • Shared activities • many kind of shared activities • Discussions concerning everyday events • doesn’t discuss a lot • Community experiences • doesn’t often take part in

13. Case studies: Henry • Conflicts • takes part in • difficult to say how conflicts start or who’s the iniator • tries to exclude a girl with severe learning difficulties • Consequencies • Henry is mostly included

14. Case studies: Alex • Shared activities • is engaged in • Discussions concerning everyday events • takes part in • Community experiences • tries to create

15. Case studies: Alex • Conflicts • is involved in • quite often the initiator • aims to exclude the girl with severe learning difficultie • Consequencies • Alex is partly excluded by • verbal name-calling • direct verbal rejection

16. Conclusions • A certain kind of behavior doesn’t directly lead to his or her social position • What kinds of factors effect the social integration of children with emotional and behavioral problems? • The amount of child’s constructive activities?

17. Conclusions • What kinds of factors effect the social integration of children with emotional and behavioral problems? • The typical peer culture in each group? • The amount and nature of conflicts? • The guidance given by the adults?