Interpersonal Skills 9

Impact of Disabilities and Special Education Designation on Behavior

***Students with disabilities may face challenges that directly impact their behavior in the school setting. When these challenges go unaddressed, they may result in behaviors that can be misunderstood as disruptions.

Neurological Disabilities

Examples:

• Tourette’s syndrome: a neurological disorder that may cause sudden unwanted and uncontrolled rapid and repeated movements or vocal sounds called tics.

• Prader-Willi syndrome: a rare, complex genetic disorder that affects many systems in the body and is present from birth

  • Low muscle tone (hypotonia) in infancy

  • Feeding difficulties and poor growth early in life, followed later by excessive hunger and food-seeking behaviors

  • Developmental delays and learning challenges

  • Behavioral and emotional regulation difficulties

  • Hormonal deficiencies, including growth hormone and sex hormones

  • Short stature, low muscle mass, and increased body fat

  • Sleep abnormalities and temperature regulation issues

Neurological Disabilities Effect on Behavior

May lead to loud outbursts, movement, or verbal repetition.

Emotional or Behavioral Disorders

Examples:

• anxiety

• OCD

Effect on Behavior:

• May result in defiance or withdrawal.

Communication Disorders

Examples:

• Autism

• Expressive Language Disorder: A communication condition where children (and sometimes adults) have difficulty conveying thoughts, needs, or ideas despite having normal comprehension, often resulting in limited vocabulary, short sentences, and word-finding issues.

Effect on Behavior

• May cause misunderstandings or perceived rudeness.

***School personnel need to recognize how certain disabilities manifest. It is critical for school staff to be aware of each student's IEP or 504 plan in order to understand the specific needs and behaviors related to different disabilities.

Manifestation Determination Review

Before a student with a disability is suspended for more than 10 days, schools must conduct a Manifestation Determination Review (MDR).

• This legal process ensures that the behavior was not a direct result of the student's disability or a school's failure to implement their IEP.

• If the behavior is related to the disability, the student cannot be punished in the same way as a typically developing peer. Instead, the IEP team must revise supports and services to better meet their needs.