Understanding and Managing Behaviors of Children with Psychological Disorders

Book excerpt: In the vast literature on classroom behavior management, there are no texts that offer a set of behavior management strategies specific to various psychopathology issues in children and adolescents. This book provides a clear, useful resource for educators who wish to either prevent or diminish problem behaviors exhibited in the classroom. Readers are presented with a brief description of various mental health diagnoses, including children on the autistic spectrum, with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder, depression, anxiety, oppositional defiant disorder, and many others. After reviewing the features of each particular disorder, the book then offers a set of classroom management techniques designed to help educators target the associated problematic behaviors. Each chapter is written by an expert in that specific field, and strategies are provided for use with a variety of ages (from early childhood to adolescence). Educators will find this to be an essential tool for working with children and adolescents with a variety of mental health and behavioral disorders in the classroom.