Psychological Perspectives and Intervention Strategies for Educating Children with Emotional and Behaviour Difficulties

Abstract

The paper reviews literature on the psychological perspectives on educating children with emotional and behaviour difficulties in inclusive schools. Of special interest are useful intervention strategies that could be put into practice by basic and secondary school teachers, working on their own, in support or collaboration with other members of staff to help children with special educational needs with focus on children with emotional and behaviour difficulties. The review excludes the reported strategies of psychiatric treatment and certain special school strategies. However, it covers the definition of emotional and behavioural difficulties, causes of emotional and behaviour difficulties, the characteristics of emotional and behaviour/disorder, the theoretical perspectives and the useful intervention strategies that teachers and special education teachers can employ to help these children. The rationale for the review of the literature is that children with emotional and behaviour difficulties (EBD) are found everywhere in the world and dealing with these children can be an area of special challenge forteachers, parents and special educators because they exhibit a variety of destructive and antisocial behaviours which need to be addressed to enable them benefit from education.