More Student Behavior

How do I recognize and deal with atypical behavior that is neurological-based?

The simple answer to this question lies on page 45 of our text; "Three indicators that can alert you to the possibility...of NBB [are] behavior difficulties, language difficulties, and academic difficulties".  These indicators are by no means absolute; there are a number of reasons why a student might have academic difficulties.  But they do act as a starting point in diagnosing NBB problems early on.

Sensory integration dysfunction (SID) is one of the core factors in NBB (p46).  Sensory integration is the process of organizing, interpreting and responding to information (again, p. 46).  When a student is unable to process and interpret instruction and incorrectly responds, he could feel pressured, embarrassed, ashamed, sad and angry.  These feelings could easily lead the child to act out, not because he is a bad student, but because he simply cannot understand why the other students can process the information and he can't.  As a teacher, recognizing the student's difficulties early on during the instruction will allow him to better target the real problem behind the student's misbehavior.  Sometimes, a students inability to process information as quickly or efficiently as others could incorrectly be diagnosed as a learning disability, and the teacher needs to be aware of the difference between the two.


LD students are usually of average to above-average intelligence and have learning problems only in one area of academics.  These students are not physically impaired, and will need further instruction in the trouble area in order to continue through school.  As a teacher it will be important to remember that if the problem area isn't addressed, the other areas could start to suffer as well.


Other behavior problems associated with NBB are autism, fetal alcohol syndrome, and the rage cycle.  Each could be discussed in a blog by itself.  However, the answer to the question above is relatively simple.  As a teacher it is certainly not my job to diagnose the problem.  Knowing the common symptoms and being able to recognize the difference between lack of attention and a real neurological problem is as far as I should go.  Once a student is professionally diagnosed as having one of these problems he could receive several different types of assistance.  "The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health reports that most childhood mental health problems are treatable with medication" (p.56).  Medication, combined with extra attention and instruction will almost always produce positive results.  Maintaining control and order in my classroom will help provide an environment free from distraction and will help cut down on the interruptions.