Presenter: Joe Duffy, Senior Educational Psychologist/
Professional & Academic Tutor, QUB
11th & 12th February 2014
Outline of presentation
 SEBD as a SEN
 Assessment framework
• Types of support
 Managing challenging situations
SEBD: A special educational need
“EBD is perhaps the only
category of SEN that exposes a
child to increased risk of
exclusion as a function of the
very SEN identified as
requiring special provision in
the first instance” (Jull, 2008)
Social, Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties
SEBD
 SEBD; BESD; EBD???
 Social, mental & emotional health (SMEH) – Children & Families
Bill (2013)
 An administrative SEN category (within the context of the Code of
Practice, 1996)
 “…. an imprecise umbrella term, always difficult to define, although
it is quite clear that many children and young people to whom the
term is applied have complex and chronic difficulties, which place
them at risk of school and wider social exclusion” (Source: Appendix 1
from 2006 SEBDA Business Plan)
SEBD can therefore be manifested as:
 Externalising difficulties – “acting out” behaviours e.g.
aggression, disruption, non-compliance
 Internalising difficulties – withdrawn behaviour, anxiety,
phobias, depression
 Medical disorders e.g. conduct disorder, oppositional defiance
disorder
 Mental Health Problems e.g. affective (mood) disorders,
eating disorders, post-traumatic syndromes, self-harm &
suicide
 Comorbidity - e.g. in association with learning difficulties
Understanding SEBD
The biopsychosocial perspective
“The more we understand about the nature of the child’s
difficulties the better placed we are to provide effective support”
(Cooper, 2005, p.105)
“We must find ways of incorporating biological insights with
social & environmental understandings of SEBD” (Cooper, 2005, p.105)
The 5Ps approach to understanding SEBD
Risk Factors
Triggers,
setting
events
Predisposing
Resilience
Protective
Problem
Situation
Precipitating
Maintaining
Factors
Behaviours
Presenting
Perpetuating
Understanding SEBD:
A systemic, interactionalist framework
Child
Cultural
Neighbourhood
Family
Other pupils
SEBD
School staff
School
9
Assessment
The SEN Code of Practice:
A graduated response to SEBD
Stage 3-5
Personalised intervention
 systems for pupils with high-risk
behaviour
 more specialised support e.g.
“additional to & different from….”
 external agency involved
Stage 2
Focus on small-group & individual need
 systems for pupils with at-risk
behaviour
 more specialised, additional
within-school support
Stage 1
Focus on prevention & early
intervention
 school/classroom-wide
systems for all pupils
 differentiation
The role of Educational Psychology
within the Code of Practice
 For school-aged children the educational
psychologist (EP) typically becomes involved at
Stage 3 of the CoP, following a referral from a
school.
 Once it has been agreed that an EP will assess a
child, he/she will be seen in school. On
completion of the assessment a report will be
written.
 Many of the Stage 3 support services have to be
accessed through the recommendation of an EP.
SEBD: Individual EP assessments
Observations
Psychometric
Assessment
Informant
based/selfreport measures
Interviews
Consultations
Follow-up report
Types of Support
Support available for children & young
people with SEBD





Behaviour Support Team
Behaviour outreach support
Counselling
Additional Adult assistance (Statemented pupils)
Out of school support e.g. short-term placement
in a unit/special school, hospital schools
 Alternative Education Provision
 Other e.g. voluntary organisations, Health &
Social Care Trusts, CYPSP
Managing SEBD in challenging
situations
Challenging behaviours!
A “challenging” behaviour
can be one which is
perceived as a
management difficulty for
a staff member e.g.
“High frequency, low
intensity behaviours”
(e.g. after Elton, 1989)
Managing challenging situations
•
•
•
•
•
Being prepared – effective policies, planning
Understanding child & adolescent development
Awareness of theories on anger & aggression
Staff training - self-awareness & reflection
Knowing how to access appropriate ELB & other
support services e.g. re. Critical Incidents
• The four “C”s – an integrated (“team”) approach
to meeting the needs of pupils with SEBD
Planning
One of the best
predictors of
future behaviour
is past behaviour
The Typical Arousal Cycle
(After Breakwell, 1997)
Stages
A
N
X
I
E
T
Y
Trigger
Escalation
Crisis
Recovery
Post-crisis
Depression
Repeated
crises
L
E
V
E
L
90 Minutes
TIME
The Control Trilogy
Phase 1: Calming
Phase 2: Reaching
Phase 3: Controlling
21
The Four “C”s
 Communication
 Contribution
 Commitment
 Collaboration
Thank you