Information At-a-Glance Assignment
Neurological-based behavior (NBB) refers to the erratic behavior that sometimes occurs when one’s cerebral processes do not function in a “typical” manner (Kranowitz, 2005). In school, almost all classes contain one or more students with NBB. Most teachers find NBB a special challenge because it is difficult to understand and does not respond reliably to ordinary discipline and classroom management strategies.
Students behave erratically or inconsistently for reasons that are often mysterious to teachers, sometimes even to those who have been specially trained. The behaviors in question are believed to result from a compromised ability to process information correctly, in a condition that can be caused by chemical imbalances in the brain, congenital brain differences, brain injuries, or brain diseases (Cook, 2004; Greene, 2001; Hall & Hall, 2003; Kranowitz, 1998; Papolos & Papolos, 2002).
Because neurological differences are not easily diagnosed, the affected students often do not receive the assistance they need for several years after their symptoms first appear and they struggle in the classroom.
Please remember that students with NBB are not abstractions or case studies, but real people struggling to deal with life. When ordinary discipline procedures do not help them behave productively in the classroom, it is not because the students are “bad” or “unintelligent.” Rather, they behave as they do because of the way their brains function, and their brains cannot always control their behavior in ways that serve them best.
Neurological-Based Behaviors include the following:
• Learning Disabilities (LD) (including Dyslexia)
• Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID)(also called Sensory Processing Disorder)
• Bipolar Disorder
• Oppositional Defiant Disorder ODD)
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (includes FAS- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome; ARND- Alcohol-related Neuro-developmental Disorder; and pFAS- Partial Fetal Alcohol Syndrome)
• Brain Injuries- traumatic and nontraumatic
The first step to assisting a student to be successful in an educational setting is understanding them and understanding the strengths and needs they bring into the classroom and school environment.
Your assignment is to develop a one page summary detailing one Neurological-based behavior (NBB) from the list above. You must include the following information:
o Indicators and Characteristics…
o How is it determined/confirmed/ diagnosed?
o Causes, if known…
o Primary behavioral concerns…
o Suggestions to promote success…
• Be sure to include citations from your information sources.