It is well known that students with behaviour and/or emotional disorders are at a high risk of poor academic outcomes, permanent school exclusion, reduced employment options, social, emotional and behavioural problems across the life span, mental health problems, and criminal behaviour leading to juvenile offending and imprisonment.
It is less well known that:
- The prevalence of students with emotional or behavioural disorders in Australian schools is between 3%-6% (Vinson, 2002; Westwood & Graham, 2000).
- As many as 40% of children with behavioural issues have undetected communication problems (www.ican.org.uk/talkingpoint).
- The behavioural impact of Speech Language Impairment on behaviour and responses to
The learning environment can include:
- withdrawal
- low self-esteem
- boredom
- work-avoidance and lack of confidence
- disruptiveness
- difficulties following rules and accepting boundaries
It is not uncommon for language and/or communication difficulties to be overlooked, particularly in adolescents with behavioural difficulties. This is because their behaviour and lack of communication skills are usually seen as the student ‘just being a difficult teenager'.