Teaching Children with Emotional Behavior Disorders Final Exam Study Guide

How does the Texas Education Agency define autism?

A developmental disability affecting communication, social interaction, and behavior, often impacting educational performance.

What are common characteristics of students with autism?

Difficulty with social communication, repetitive behaviors, sensory sensitivities, and challenges with change or transitions.

What is elopement?

When a child wanders or runs away from a safe, supervised area.

What percentage of children with autism elope?

About 50% of children with autism have attempted to wander/elope.

What are some ideas to promote safety in the classroom for children with autism?

Locked/secured doors, visual boundaries, clear routines, supervision plans, safety scripts, and behavior plans.

Why is labeling the classroom helpful for children with autism?

Labels provide structure, predictability, and help students understand where items belong.

What are some ways to organize classroom objects?

Color coding, bins with pictures, shelves with labels, designated areas for materials.

Why are visual cues and signs helpful for children with autism?

They reduce anxiety, support communication, clarify expectations, and improve independence.

What are some causes/effects/variables of childhood loneliness?

Social isolation, bullying, digital overuse, low self-esteem, family dynamics; effects include sadness, withdrawal, and academic difficulties.

What is childhood loneliness?

The distress a child feels when there’s a gap between the relationships they want and the ones they actually have.

What are key points about loneliness?

It is subjective, not the same as being alone, can occur even when surrounded by people, and affects emotional development.

How common is childhood loneliness?

It is increasingly prevalent; many children report frequent feelings of isolation.

What is the emotional dimension of childhood loneliness?

Feelings of sadness, emptiness, worry, and lack of belonging.

What is the cognitive dimension of childhood loneliness?

Negative self-talk, biased thinking, beliefs like “no one likes me.”

What is the interpersonal dimension of loneliness?

Difficulty forming or maintaining friendships, trouble with social skills, rejection sensitivity.

What are predisposing risk factors for loneliness?

Temperament, disability, social anxiety, previous trauma, family issues.

What are precipitating risk factors?

Bullying, moving schools, family changes, sudden social rejection, technology overuse.

What are three key factors of concern about mental disorders in children?

Early onset, long-term impact, and how symptoms interfere with functioning.

How does loneliness interfere with belonging?

It blocks connection, makes kids withdraw, and leads to interpersonal problems.

What are adverse internal outcomes of loneliness?

Anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, rumination.

What are adverse external outcomes?

Behavioral issues, poor academics, conflict with peers, risk-taking behaviors.

What are the two types of children who experience anxiety?

Those with temperamentally anxious traits and those whose environment triggers anxiety.

How is anxiety a normal human experience?

It’s a natural stress response that helps us stay alert and safe.

When is anxiety considered maladaptive?

When it interferes with daily functioning, is excessive, or persists beyond developmentally expected levels.

Contrast separation anxiety, social anxiety, and generalized anxiety disorder.

Separation: fear of being away from caregivers.
Social: fear of judgment/embarrassment.
GAD: excessive worry across many areas.

How does anxiety impact functioning physiologically?

Fast heartbeat, sweating, stomachaches, headaches.

Behavioral impacts of anxiety?

Avoidance, crying, clinginess, restlessness.

Social/emotional impacts?

Low confidence, sensitivity, irritability, isolation.

Academic/cognitive impacts?

Trouble focusing, perfectionism, mental fatigue.

What are causes of anxiety?

Genetics, temperament, trauma, family stress, environment, modeling.

What is the stress response?

The body’s automatic system for handling threat; fuels anxiety.

What are examples of fight responses?

Yelling, aggression, arguing.

Flight responses?

Running away, hiding, avoidance.

Freeze responses?

Shutting down, going silent, “blanking out.”

Fawn responses?

People-pleasing, over-compliance, trying to keep everyone calm.

How to make students feel included, valued, and comfortable?

Greet them, build relationships, create routines, use inclusive language, celebrate diversity, offer choices.

What factors lead to misbehavior?

Unmet needs, lack of structure, academic frustration, attention seeking, inconsistent rules.

What are positive behavior management practices?

Reinforcing good behavior, clear expectations, praise, rewards, modeling.

Ways to build relationships with students?

Listening, empathy, consistency, knowing their interests, positive communication.

What is proactive behavior management?

Preventing misbehavior through routines, expectations, and environment setup.

What is prosocial behavior management?

Teaching and encouraging cooperation, empathy, kindness, and social skills.