Social and Emotional Learning for Students with Internalizing Behaviors

1. Paul Caldarella, Leslie Gunter, Thomas J. Kramer, Luke A. Marvin BYU - Positive Behavior Support Initiative Presented at the TECBD Conference Tempe, AZ October 25, 2013 Social and Emotional Learning for Students with Internalizing Behaviors

2. Acknowledgements Dr. Ken Merrell November 24, 1957 to August 19, 2011

3. Overview • Mental health problems in schools • Internalizing behaviors • Prevention • Screening • Social-Emotional Learning • Strong Kids • Evaluation results

4. Mental Health Needs in Schools • ~20% students in need of services • Only ~20% receive services • Demands on educators • Insufficient resources, overworked • Limited time, academic requirements • Ineffective Programs • Not evidence based (e.g., “fads”) • Reactive “get tough” approaches • Address problems too late, less responsive to treatment

5. Internalizing Behaviors • Expression of distress inwards • Anxiety, depression, social withdrawal, somatic complaints • Can be difficult to detect through observation • Associated with negative academic and social outcomes • Prevalence: higher in girls & adolescents

6. Development of depression from preadolescence to young adulthood: Emerging gender differences in a 10-year longitudinal study. By: Hankin, Benjamin L., Abramson, Lyn Y., Moffitt, Terrie E., Silva, Phil A., McGee, Rob, Angell, Kathryn E., Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 0021843X, 1998, Vol. 107, Issue 1

7. Anxiety Disorders Source: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/286227-overview#aw2aab6b2b8based in part on Magee WJ, Eaton WW, Wittchen HU, McGonagle KA, Kessler RC. Agoraphobia, simple phobia, and social phobia in the National Comorbidity Survey. Arch Gen Psychiatry. Feb 1996;53(2):159-68.

8. Internalizing Behaviors • Attempts to regulate internal emotional and cognitive states in a manner that is maladaptive • May be elicited by the way youth: • think about their experiences • behaviorally cope with unpleasant events

9. Three Pronged Prevention Approach Affective: emotional education Behavioral: social skills training Cognitive: change thinking • Learning social and emotional skills and altering maladaptive thought and behavior patterns may help prevent and reduce internalizing symptoms.

10. Prevention of Internalizing Disorders • Look at the “big picture” • Consider the needs of all students • Move some resources and effort towards those not experiencing severe difficulties • Address problems before they become severe

11. Merrell, K. W., Parisi, D. M., & Whitcomb, S. A. (2007). Strong Start grades K-2: A social and emotional learning curriculum. Baltimore, MD: Paul H Brookes Publishing.

12. BYU-PBSI Foundations Tertiary Prevention: Intensive interventions 1) Build Relationships 2) Establish Expectations 3) Teach Academic and Social-Emotional Skills 4) Reinforce Appropriate Behavior 5) Use Interventions Based on Data decisions ~5% Secondary Prevention: Specialized interventions ~15% ~15% Primary Prevention: Universal Interventions ~80% of Students

13. Identifying Needs • Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders (SSBD)(Walker & Severson 1992) • Screens All Students • Internalizing & Externalizing • Teacher ratings • Multi-gated • Suggests risk level

15. School-University Collaboration • Screening • Review of results • Discussion of PBS interventions • Social and emotional learning

16. www.casel.org

17. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) • Promotes resilience by teaching the skills to: • Recognize and manage emotions • Develop care and concern for others • Make responsible decisions • Form positive relationships • Handle challenging situations effectively

18. Strong Kids Series – SEL Curricula Strong Start Pre-K (ages 3-5) Strong Kids (ages 12-14) Strong Start (ages 5-8) Strong Kids (ages 8-12) Strong Teens (ages 14-18)

19. Objectives of Strong Kids • Prevent internalizing disorders • Understand emotions • Learn to: • monitor and regulate emotions, thoughts, feelings • handle challenges • solve interpersonal problems • set goals

20. About Strong Kids • Based on: • Principles of effective instruction • Premise that social-emotional skills must be specifically taught, learned, and practiced just like academic skills • Semi-scripted developmentally appropriate lessons • School to home practice application • Home bulletin (Strong Start Pre-K/K-2) • Home work (Strong Kids/Teens) • Practical and easy to use • Wide range of appropriate settings, purposes, leaders

21. How Strong Kids differs from other SEL programs? • Emphasis on internalizing behaviors • Brief: 10-12 lessons, 25-50 minutes each • Empirically-based • SEL skills taught directly • Three-pronged instructional focus • Affective: emotional education • Behavioral: social skills training • Cognitive: change thinking

22. Strengths • Low-cost, low-tech • Semi-structured • Covers specific objectives and goals • Feasible and easy to implement • Highly flexible across school settings and student populations Limitations • Not a comprehensive program • May not meet needs of all students

23. Teaching Strong Kids • Direct Instruction • Use scripts to directly teach concepts and skills • Discussion • Ask students to volunteer to share and discuss experiences • Activities • Conduct small groups, model examples, and role-plays • Read children’s literature • Create drawings/posters • Practice relaxation exercises • Application • Precorrect, remind, and reinforce

24. Required Materials • Projector or transparencies • Handouts • Chalk or marker board • Stuffed animal mascot and children's literature for Strong Start

25. Overview of Lessons

26. Lesson Summaries Lesson 1: About Strong Kids • Critical terms defined (e.g., self-esteem, depression, anxiety) • Overview of upcoming lessons • Behavioral expectations outlined • Pre-assessment of knowledge and symptoms (optional)

27. Sample – Symptom Checklist Items

28. Lessons 2 and 3: Understanding Your Feelings • Improve emotional awareness and vocabulary • Identify and distinguish feelings as comfortable or uncomfortable • Recognize situations that cause particular feelings • Learn appropriate vs. inappropriate ways to express feelings

29. Feelings Identification Activity • This activity will help you learn to identify comfortable and uncomfortable feelings…put a plus (+) mark next to any words that you think describe comfortable feelings, and put a minus (-) mark next to any words that you think describe uncomfortable feelings. • Comfortable feelings: make people feel good, can help you have fun and enjoy life • Uncomfortable feelings:make people feel bad, can also help people grow and change for the better • Feeling List happy lonely scared bored angry sad upset surprised strong proud afraid glad shy worried tired love

30. Lesson 4: Dealing with Anger • Describe anger, causes, and function • Anger model • Distinguish between anger and aggression • Steps for delaying impulsive anger reactions • Appropriate ways to express anger

31. Anger Model

32. Sample - Anger Management Strategy

33. Lessons 5: Understanding Other People’s Feelings • Empathy training • Identify feelings and perspectives of other people • Consider body language, facial expression • Role play scenarios

34. Sample - Empathy Assignment Think of two times when you could tell how someone else was feeling. _________________________________________________ How could you tell? (What were the clues that you noticed?) _________________________________________________ What did you do, or what could you do to help that person? _________________________________________________

35. Lessons 6 and 7: Clear Thinking • Positive vs. negative thought patterns • Thoughts influence mood, choices, actions • Determining the level of the emotion • Common thinking errors • Dispelling negative thoughts

36. Sample – Common Thinking Errors

37. Supplement 6.1 (Overhead Transparency) Feelings Thermometer HIGH MEDIUM LOW

38. Lesson 8: The Power of Positive Thinking • Learn to redirect pessimistic feelings • Foster optimistic thinking • Do not attribute negative events to oneself • Change negative thoughts

39. Example of Using the ABCDE Model (Positive Thinking) A: Adversity (Any problem): Michelle answers a question wrong in Math class. B: Belief (Bad thoughts): Michelle believes the teacher is angry and the whole class thinks she is stupid. C: Consequence (Crummy feelings): Michelle feels depressed and thinks "I wish I could run out of this classroom and never have to come back here again.“ D: Disputation or Decide (Decide not to accept thoughts): Michelle thinks "Okay, I answered the question wrong but that doesn't mean the teacher is mad. We are just learning these equations and she can't expect that all the students will always answer the questions right. The other kids in the class probably don't think I'm stupid because they get questions wrong too sometimes.“ E: Energization(Enjoy): Michelle thinks "I'm still a little embarrassed about getting the question wrong but I don't think the teacher is mad and the kids think I am stupid anymore. I no longer wish that I could run out of the classroom."

40. Lesson 9: Solving People Problems • How to resolve conflict • Identify problem • Brainstorm solutions • Choose one • Make an agreement • Strategies • Deal making • Compromising • Discussing • Brainstorming

41. Sample – Solving People Problems

42. Lesson 10: Letting Go of Stress • Self-awareness of stress level • physical & cognitive symptoms • Relaxation techniques • Slow breathing • Muscle relaxation • Cognitive techniques for dealing with stress • Talking to friends • Facing your fears

43. Lesson 11: Behavior Change - Setting Goals and Staying Active • How to set and attain goals • Increase engagement in positive activities • Personal values as a critical component • Connection between activity and mood

44. Lesson 12: Finishing Up! • Review and re-teach where needed • Post assessment (optional, but recommended) Booster Lessons • Reminds students of main ideas • Provide more opportunities to practice

45. General Evaluation Results • Empirically evaluated in ~ 20 separate studies • Treatment fidelity • Emotion knowledge and social-emotional competence • Negative behavioral and emotional symptoms • Primarily at Tier 1 and Tier 2 • Student and teacher satisfaction (social validity) http://strongkids.uoregon.edu/

46. Strong Start effects on teacher ratings of 26 second grade students internalizing symptoms & peer-related social skills Caldarella, P., Christensen, L., Kramer, T. J., & Kronmiller, K. (2009). The effects of Strong Start on second grade students’ emotional and social competence. Early Childhood Education Journal, 37, 51 – 56.

47. Strong Kids effects on teacher ratings of 22 at-risk elementary school students internalizing symptoms Marchant, M., Brown, M., Caldarella, P., & Young, E. (2010). Effects of Strong Kids curriculum on students at risk for internalizing disorders: A pilot study. Journal of Empirically Based Practices in Schools, 11(2), 123-143.

48. Strong Start Pre-K effects on teacher ratings of 52 preschool school students Gunter, L., Caldarella, P., Korth, B.B., Young, K. R. (2012). Promoting social and emotional learning in preschool students: A study of Strong Start Pre-K. Early Childhood Education Journal, 40 (3), 151-159.

49. Strong Start/Kids effects on teacher ratings of internalizing symptoms & social skills at treatment school (n = 348) vs. control school (n = 266) Kramer, T. (2013). Evaluating the effects of a social and emotional learning curriculum, Strong Kids, administered school-wide (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.

50. Strong Start/Kids effects on teacher ratings of at-risk (n = 48) and non-at-risk students (n = 300) internalizing symptoms & social skills Kramer, T. (2013). Evaluating the effects of a social and emotional learning curriculum, Strong Kids, administered school-wide (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.