School behavioral problems on the rise

Studies of American children confirm the prevalence of autism, according to Michael A. Goldberg, Ph.D. of Child and Family Psychological Services in Norwood, Mass. (photo by Tom Croke)

By Phyllis Hanlon

Special education professionals and school psychologists across New England agree that today's student often brings an array of behavioral issues into the classroom. Although these problems result from several causes, a link to autism was discovered in many cases.

Barbara Dee, director of student support services in the Portland, Maine public schools system, recently drew attention to the escalating problem of emotional/behavioral issues in an academic setting when she brought her plea for more staff support to the school committee. In addition to an "explosion of kids with PTSD," Dee says that child abuse cases have risen to 20 this year, an increase six from the prior year. She adds that trauma, poverty, societal and environmental causes also contribute to some of the emotional issues. Of concern, though, is the steady rise in autism diagnoses.

Maine offers what appears to be a foolproof method of catching children who otherwise might fall through bureaucratic cracks. Each year, Dee meets with local Child Development Services personnel who monitor children from birth to five years old. Together, they discuss kindergarteners with mental health diagnoses to choose the most appropriate program for their needs. She says that this year, she received 15 names. Alarmingly, many of these children have a type of autism.

Michael A. Goldberg, Ph.D., of Child & Family Psychological Services, Inc. in Norwood, Mass., reports that studies of American children confirm the prevalence of autism. "While some of the increases may be related to changes in diagnostic procedures, most experts agree that this does not explain all of the increase seen," he says. "The exact reason for the increase is still not understood but several environmental factors are being studied."

Center for Disease Control figures indicate that years ago, one child in 1,000 had autism; today, that statistic is one in 166.

Today's children face more anxiety and societal pressure than ever before, resulting in deep depression and other psychological problems, some that require medication and/or counseling, according to Dee. She adds that in a "society that is falling apart" with inattention to early literacy and poverty, school might be the only consistent part of life, but that setting sometimes proves problematic.

Goldberg says, "Many educators often lack the time, resources or motivation to understand the children's behavioral issues and how to implement effective interventions. A movement to inclusion in the classrooms has put more pressure on teachers to understand and respond to the unique behavioral needs of children with many variable presentations."

Dee points out also that many of Maine's children are uninsured and have no access to psychological intervention in the community and the job of helping these children falls to the schools. Special education staff members collaborate with psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and nurses to identify and treat children with various mental health issues, she says.

Dee's request for four additional staff members would address these needs. "I'd like to add two full-time doctoral psychologists and two half-time psychologists," she says. Dee explains that the former conduct intricate evaluations and the latter provide routine testing and initiate risk assessment and functional behavioral analysis.

Dean J. M. Mooney, Ph.D., NCSP, school psychologist for 22 years and founder of The Maple Leaf Clinic in Wallingford, Vt., agrees that the incidence of autism has risen significantly. "In addition to better diagnostic tools, the profession is also able to identify autistic-related problems and low-level autism," he says.

Although no epidemiological cause can be found for the increase, Mooney relates the trend to untreated trauma that occurred in the past. He notes that individuals who moved through the system with an emotional diagnosis are now having children of their own. This situation is creating a domino effect, with which the schools are unprepared to deal. "Because of legislation, these kids are blown out of the classroom and get placed out of district," he says. "It's too expensive to keep them so they create their own program."

According to Mooney, the lingering effects of Sept. 11 continue to surface in many individuals. In addition to the general daily pressure of war and the threat of war, in his experience, children still dwell on the traumatic events that occurred five years ago.

Since emotional disturbances present with both external and internal symptoms, the tendency might be to isolate the student. However, Mooney suggests that children do better in a regular classroom. "In a homogenous group, there are fewer good role models. Children tend to spiral downward," he says. "There are not a lot of benefits to these programs. An active therapeutic program that attempts to reintegrate children is better."

Mooney advises schools to adopt a philosophy of building a culture of community and respond to the student's needs as they develop. "There are many fewer referrals for counseling in schools that take a proactive stance," he says. "Schools that embrace in loco parentis do a good job of working with kids."

The Wheeler Clinic in Plainville, Conn., a behavioral health organization that includes an approved special education school, accepts referrals from local districts, according to Executive Director David J. Berkowitz, Ph.D. "These children fall beyond the capacity of the public school setting to manage and educate," he says. "I am very aware of the referral patterns to our school suggesting that there has been a very consistent need/demand for our services over the past years."

Berkowitz indicates that each school department handles any behavioral problems in various, specific ways. "Some towns have a very wide and rich array of in-district services that they have gradually built, others have fewer services," he says. "I believe this has most to do with numbers of pupils in the districts and resources available for education and special education programming."

Goldberg says that school psychologists can use their expertise to "work with administrators to ensure sufficient opportunities for training, consultation and resources" in an effort to reduce the problem of negative behavior in the classroom.

School behavioral problems on the rise (January 2007 Issue)

School behavioral problems on the rise
(January 2007 Issue)