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Terri Hovious, Doctoral Education Department. Imagine, I'm an 11-year-old African American
boy. I've been diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, ADHD,
and specific learning disabilities. I'm in a very small classroom with very few children.
This is because of my behavior. I don't like that. People come in. They watch what I do.
They count it. They take notes. I don't like that either. I take medication, but not always.
Mom says I don't need it at night and on the weekends. I don't know why I'm so angry. I
don't know why I do what I do. I hope that these grown-ups can make me better and help
me change. Statistic one in eight children in this country are receiving services under
special education with an Individualized Educational Plan. Of these children, approximately 20%
of an emotional disability of some sort. These children are almost exclusively educated in
a self-contained classroom. Of the young men who are in these classrooms, very few transition
back to a regular education classroom with their peers. Many school districts in this
country are using boilerplate behavior plans to help these children. They cut and paste
goals without collecting data, without understanding the function of these children's behavior.
This boilerplate mentality is not helping these students. My research intends to look
at oppositional defiance and ADHD and how they interact together. These students deserve
to have a well-written individualized plan that will help them move back towards their
regular education classes and to be educated with their peers. At this point very few school
districts are doing this. I hope to show that a functional behavior assessment and behavior
improvement plan can assist these young men, especially African American men, move back
toward being educated with their general education peers and not have to remain in such a restricted
environment. Medication is a key. Individualized behavior plans are a key. The clock is ticking
for these young men. Can we help them?