Inclusive Education of Children with Emotional and

Behavioral Problems

Riitta ViitalaUniversity of Jyväskylä, Finland

Department of Special Educatione-mail:riitta.viitala@edu.jyu.fi

Research questions

1. What kind of children are named emotionally and behaviourally disordered?

2. How this kind of children are socially integrated in their programs? (The topic of this prensentation.)

3. What kind of pedagogic methods do the teachers use?

Method Research is qualitative (ethnografhic) Data is:

collected from three different kind of kindergarten classes

1) general program 2) integrated special education program 3) special education program

Research group: general program 23 children altogether Three children with emotional and

behavioral problems Two early childhood teachers, one

kindergarten practical nurse, one assistant (In Finland most of the children with

special needs go to this kind of ordinary preschool or kindergarten)

Research group: integrated special education program 13 children altogether Six children with special needs

Two children with emotional and behavioral problems

One special kindergarten teacher, one early childhood teacher, one kindergarten practical nurse

Research group: special education program Seven children altogether All of them had emotional and behavioral

problems Two special kindergarten teachers, one

kindergarten practical nurse, one assistant

The data

Includes: Observing memos*, interviews of the staff,

children’s interviews*, documents (IEPs) * the data of this presentation

Is categorized as social episodes: shared activities discussions concerning everyday events community experiences conflicts playing alone

Case studies: Tim

Shared activities very active

Discussions concerning everyday events eager to take part in

Community experiences creates them, participates

Case studies: Tim Conflicts

quite a few often the iniator takes some part in incidents in which the

aim is to exclude someone Consequences

Tim is mostly included has some friends uncertain mentions of friendship, too

Case studies: Mary

Shared activities participates to some extent

Discussions concerning everyday events sometimes take part in

Community experiences every now and then always with the same girl

Case studies: Mary

Conflicts extremely seldom, defends herself tries not to exclude other children

Consequences Mary is mostly excluded by

verbal name-calling underestimation direct verbal or physical rejection teasing

Case studies: Henry

Shared activities many kind of shared activities

Discussions concerning everyday events doesn’t discuss a lot

Community experiences doesn’t often take part in

Case studies: Henry Conflicts

takes part in difficult to say how conflicts start or who’s the

iniator tries to exclude a girl with severe learning

difficulties Consequencies

Henry is mostly included

Case studies: Alex Shared activities

is engaged in Discussions concerning everyday events

takes part in Community experiences

tries to create

Case studies: Alex

Conflicts is involved in quite often the initiator aims to exclude the girl with severe learning

difficultie Consequencies

Alex is partly excluded by verbal name-calling direct verbal rejection

Conclusions

A certain kind of behavior doesn’t directly lead to his or her social position

What kinds of factors effect the social integration of children with emotional and behavioral problems? The amount of child’s constructive

activities?

Conclusions What kinds of factors effect the social

integration of children with emotional and behavioral problems? The typical peer culture in each group? The amount and nature of conflicts? The guidance given by the adults?