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CRISIS INTERVENTION WITH ADOLESCENT
SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS
Susan C. Burgess, LCSW, SSWS
Sussex County Vocational-Technical School District
Broad Creek School, PO Box 351
Georgetown, DE 19947
(302) 856-9507
Adolescents who are placed in special education programs because of serious emotional
disturbance and/or learning disability are often more vulnerable to trauma. An understanding of
their special needs will help the crisis worker intervene in a way that will increase the teenager's
receptiveness to the response and increase the likelihood of benefit from the treatment.
Such a student may be placed in one of several kinds of special settings, varying in level of service
from having one or two special classes within a regular school to full time placement in an
alternative school that provides the most intense and comprehensive special education services.
Emotional disturbances and learning disabilities significantly affect a child's communication
abilities. Both expressive and receptive communication are affected. Since a learning disability
involves an impairment in the process of how a student understands language or uses language,
there needs to be additions or modifications to communication with the student.
The child in crisis will be more receptive to the help if communication with him is adapted to his
problems or differences. Just as the special education teacher must take into account the impaired
processes so that the student can learn, crisis specialists and therapists taking these factors into
account will provide the child more effective interventions.
Some of the conditions to expect in learning disabled and seriously emotionally disturbed
teenagers may include perceptual problems; auditory processing deficits; attention deficit
disorders; hyperactivity; dyslexia; impaired ability to enter into age appropriate relationships with
others; inappropriate behaviors; and difficulties in listening, comprehension, reasoning, and
expressive language.
Low intelligence levels comprise some of the population of special education students. These
kids are usually more easily recognizable by the crisis worker. In most cases these students can be
worked with as if they were a younger aged child. The learning disabilities and serious emotional
disturbances are not always as apparent initially, and being more complex, they need adaptations
in the approach and intervention process.
The most effective interventions and treatment for special education students require good
communication and working closely with the other professionals in the child's life. The
importance of this communication and the well coordinated efforts among everyone can not be
over stated.
Through the use of relatively simple and straightforward accommodations to the environment and
small additions and changes in approach, workers can adapt to the strengths and weaknesses of
special ed students.