Sharing from Kay Otten, Ph. D.
"
Dr.
Otten's original post and follow up post and related references
attached. Lots of reading, but well summarized and pertinent
information from behavior experts in the field of challenging behavior.
Hello Facebook Friends,
All week I have been avoiding the Conneticut shooting story as I just couldn’t stomach the sensationalism of the media. I do generally respect Meet the Press and after watching this morning have to respond. Usually I don’t speak out too much because I don’t feel that I am well informed enou
"
Hello Facebook Friends,
All week I have been avoiding the Conneticut shooting story as I just couldn’t stomach the sensationalism of the media. I do generally respect Meet the Press and after watching this morning have to respond. Usually I don’t speak out too much because I don’t feel that I am well informed enou
gh about all sides of most issues but this is a topic I KNOW! The
shooter was described on MTP as “always a person apart, never had any
close friends, never seemed to be a good fit anywhere, had trouble
looking people in the eye, trouble answering questions, trouble fitting
in, not a person who maintained normal relationships”. His parents got a
divorce (as the parents of children that fit this profile often do due
to the stress involved), he lived with his mother although there was
great strain in their relationship (also common), and his mother took
him in and out of school and eventually home schooled him (again-very
common). I work with many kiddos that fit all or many parts of this
profile EVERY DAY and have for over 20 years. Let me be extremely clear
that I am in no way making excuses for his behavior (violence is never
excusable) nor am I saying that all the students I support develop or
will develop violent tendencies (a VAST majority will not). What I am
hoping to do is help us all understand how future tragedies might be
prevented.
During the rest of the program I heard a great deal of debate around gun control and mental health services. I support reasonable gun control restrictions and increased support and education surrounding mental health. Both are important to continue discussing but are not sufficient. Individuals with social, emotional, and/or behavioral challenges are supposed to be receiving a free and appropriate education in the public school system and I can assure you many are not and if they are, the services they receive are not of sufficient quality. There are three cognitive protective factors that inhibit the expression of aggression and violence: 1) empathy, 2) guilt and 3) fear of punishment. These all involve a well developed theory of mind (simply stated- taking the perspective of others) which relates to executive functioning skills such as inhibiting impulses and regulating emotions. All of these are functions of the frontal lobes of the brain which research has shown is wired differently in individuals with a variety of neurological disorders. The problem is the only way that most people think this can be helped it through “mental health services” such as medication and counseling. I am a supporter of both of these when used appropriately and ethically but also know that brain function can be impacted through direct instruction that addresses these specific skills deficit areas and this can be done in schools by teachers, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, etc.
I also have to state that individuals with social, emotional and/or behavior challenges are often targets of bullying and if not actually “bullied” are at the very least, misunderstood and socially rejected by their peers and the adults in their communities. We have all witnessed it. Many of them handle this social isolation by developing strong interests in solo activities such as video games which have become ridiculously violent and are certainly not helping the situation. ALL of us have a responsibility and role in preventing similar tragedies from happening in the communities that we live and there are things we can do IMMEDIATELY. So please, the time is now. Educate yourself and your children regarding the roots of social, emotional and behavior challenges, do not tolerate any form of teasing or bullying in your communities, reach out to children and families that are impacted by social, emotional, or behavioral challenges, and support proactive quality evidence based programming in your schools for social, emotional and/or behavioral needs. This isn’t just special education it also includes school and classwide positive behavior support, social and emotional learning, crisis prevention and anti-bullying programs, and mental health awareness. You can google any of these terms for more information. Our reactive, punitive approach to social, emotional, and behavioral issues in this country are at the root of the problem. We have the highest incarceration rate of any civilized country in the world and obviously it is not working as episodes of violence are continuing to increase at an alarming rate.
Don’t just hug your children and cry over lives lost-do something to change it. We are all part of the solution.
During the rest of the program I heard a great deal of debate around gun control and mental health services. I support reasonable gun control restrictions and increased support and education surrounding mental health. Both are important to continue discussing but are not sufficient. Individuals with social, emotional, and/or behavioral challenges are supposed to be receiving a free and appropriate education in the public school system and I can assure you many are not and if they are, the services they receive are not of sufficient quality. There are three cognitive protective factors that inhibit the expression of aggression and violence: 1) empathy, 2) guilt and 3) fear of punishment. These all involve a well developed theory of mind (simply stated- taking the perspective of others) which relates to executive functioning skills such as inhibiting impulses and regulating emotions. All of these are functions of the frontal lobes of the brain which research has shown is wired differently in individuals with a variety of neurological disorders. The problem is the only way that most people think this can be helped it through “mental health services” such as medication and counseling. I am a supporter of both of these when used appropriately and ethically but also know that brain function can be impacted through direct instruction that addresses these specific skills deficit areas and this can be done in schools by teachers, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, etc.
I also have to state that individuals with social, emotional and/or behavior challenges are often targets of bullying and if not actually “bullied” are at the very least, misunderstood and socially rejected by their peers and the adults in their communities. We have all witnessed it. Many of them handle this social isolation by developing strong interests in solo activities such as video games which have become ridiculously violent and are certainly not helping the situation. ALL of us have a responsibility and role in preventing similar tragedies from happening in the communities that we live and there are things we can do IMMEDIATELY. So please, the time is now. Educate yourself and your children regarding the roots of social, emotional and behavior challenges, do not tolerate any form of teasing or bullying in your communities, reach out to children and families that are impacted by social, emotional, or behavioral challenges, and support proactive quality evidence based programming in your schools for social, emotional and/or behavioral needs. This isn’t just special education it also includes school and classwide positive behavior support, social and emotional learning, crisis prevention and anti-bullying programs, and mental health awareness. You can google any of these terms for more information. Our reactive, punitive approach to social, emotional, and behavioral issues in this country are at the root of the problem. We have the highest incarceration rate of any civilized country in the world and obviously it is not working as episodes of violence are continuing to increase at an alarming rate.
Don’t just hug your children and cry over lives lost-do something to change it. We are all part of the solution.
