Teaching Severely Mentally III and Emotionally Disturbed Adolescents

Abstract

Teaching emotionally disturbed adolescents has for many years been generally geared toward youth with various acting out behaviors. Special education teachers have been trained to develop skills in adapting, remediating, and teaching educational curricula. They have received training in modifying disturbed, acting out behaviors and diagnosing certain educational problems. Emphasis in teacher training has been placed on identifying academic deterrents and deficiencies, creating adequate intervention programs, and providing appropriate educational services. Teaching adolescents who are handicapped with a severe psychosis or emotional disorder demands additional skills of an instructor. Teachers in this field are not only required to provide a special instructional setting, but they are also required to use academic activities as a form of therapy. This article identifies the teacher of severely disturbed adolescents not only as an educator but also as a therapist member of an interdisciplinary team.