P.T.K- Parents, Teachers, Kids

By Wm R. Van Osdol Ph.D.

This book is an accumulation of information from those years as a psychologist and as a university professor. The present book is a revised edition from the original copy, which was used as a university textbook. This revision is adapted for the lay public--mother, father, teachers, childrenand designed to give a common sense approach in adult/child relations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 31, 2003
• ISBN: 9781465329875

Wm R. Van Osdol Ph.D.

William R. Van Osdol received a Ph.D. in Psychology and Special Education at The University of Oklahoma. He is licensed as a psychologist by the Oklahoma State Board of Examiners. Dr. Van Osdol is a professor emeritus at the University of Central Oklahoma where he was chairperson of the Special Education Department. He has authored five university psychology/special education textbooks, one of which was adopted by sixty-seven different universities. Dr. Van Osdol also has over fifty published papers and has presented professional programs throughout the United States; in Regina and Toronto, Canada; at London University, England; and at Montpellier University, France. He was a visiting professor at Memorial University, St. Johns, Newfoundland, worked twelve years as a psychologist for an adolescent psychiatric hospital, and also offered a private practice. This book is an accumulation of information from those years as a psychologist and as a university professor. The present book is a revised edition from the original copy, which was used as a university textbook. This revision is adapted for the lay public--mother, father, teachers, children—and designed to give a common sense approach in adult/child relations.

Book preview

Why? From Whom?

From What?

Parents and teachers need to be aware of the characteristics and symptoms which may indicate concerns that are expressed by children. It is impossible to offer a clear-cut definition, but a number of symptoms or characteristics do exist that are generally included within a disturbed child’s behavioral framework. Children have worries, anxieties, and other generalized fears within themselves, which in turn cause them to behave in an ineffective manner at home and at school. Therefore, teachers and parents should be alerted to these signs and symptoms.

Many times children translate their fears and anxieties into physical symptoms. They seem to have frequent physical complaints, and worry considerably about their health. These children may malinger and hold onto their illnesses, which then enables them to avoid their emotional constrictions. These children also seem to have numerous accidents. They frequently have cuts, scratches, broken bones, etc.

Other children may attempt to solve anxieties by regressing to earlier forms of behavior. This regression gives some security, because the child knows how to deal with problems at an immature level. Regression happens to all of us at times when we meet frustrating situations that we can’t handle. If we can’t perform at an expected level, we then return to a lower/easier form of behavior that is comfortable for us.

Some children may indicate fears and anxieties through aggressive acts toward other people—parents, teachers, or friends. In effect, the child tries to overcome anxieties by taking things into his own hands. He is, of course, unable to cope with his problems through aggression, and only confirms the fact that he is a problem-riddled child. Aggression has recently been increasing, but there is no particular evidence for the increase. Television, movies, and less structure are possible contributors, but nothing empirical has been indicated. It is interesting to note, though, that a significant increase in aggressive acts has been indicated by elementary-school-age children.

Children may, instead of becoming aggressive, withdraw into fantasy land. Teachers and parents call these children daydreamers, because the children do not relate well to their peers or to adults and become isolated in the classrooms.

Some children fear failure and criticism; therefore, they become perfectionists. Everything has to be just right, and when stimuli or behavior is not compatible with their world, they are in turmoil.

Other children may avoid real anxieties by developing substitute fears, compulsions, and phobias. To these phobias they attach emotional reactions which interfere with their overall functioning.

Any of the conditions which I just mentioned may produce poor social and school adjustment. As a general rule, though, one must realize that poor school and social adjustment are not always the result of emotional problems.

It is generally felt that teachers have considerable sensitivity and insight into the problem behavior of children. Yes, I realize this is not true in all teaching situations, but most teachers do recognize the obvious deviations of problem-plagued children. It is this conduct-problem child who has the liability for possibly creating severe emotional disturbances in his adult life.

Emotional problems are not the result of a suddenly developed condition. It is, though, a development that emits visible cues and is sometimes susceptible to evaluation early in a child’s life; therefore, a teacher who spends a great number of hours with a child is able to observe that disturbed children generally score significantly lower on IQ tests, on reading and arithmetic tests, and that they differ from other children in self-perception as indicated by test items on personality inventories.

Teachers, also, may observe that the disturbed child’s problems increase with each grade level. As the child is moved to a higher grade, his problems become more severe. He is faced with the increased successful aspirations of other children and his own inability to function at a higher level. In essence, the successful child is more successful and the failing child meets more failure. The teacher may additionally realize that some disturbed children perform well in academic work, but their behavior may bother the teacher and the other children, which retards the total objectives or goals of the whole class.

A good teacher will recognize that there is something about the child or his behavior that causes her to feel anxiety and frustration toward that child. The disturbed child, in turn, will have a feeling of personal discomfort in that teacher’s classroom, which may cause the child to withdraw or drop out of the class or school. The teacher’s observation of children’s behaviors should be fairly well in line with the testing observations of a psychologist, social worker, or school counselor. In other words, teachers, don’t sell yourselves short, because you contribute a great deal to the child’s good mental health.

Emotional concerns may be characterized by withdrawal or an alienation from school, but there also may be behavioral traits which are categorized as subcultural or socialized delinquency. The educational disability may be a symptom of the condition (cultural or social) which produces the emotional problems rather than being caused by the emotional problems.

There seems to be observational evidence which indicates that arithmetic disability is associated with severe personality problems, whereas reading disability is simply because the child is behind in the grade placement. I am not saying, though, that personality disorders, per se, are the only cause for arithmetic problems. Some of these children will have total academic failure, and we should not believe that severe personality maladjustment is the only cause. I’ve also seen children who are severely disturbed, but they do not have academic problems. Generally, though, the children who are disturbed will have school problems.

There are certain symptoms or behaviors which can be measured by their frequency, tenure, and severity. The frequency of behavior offers some indication of concern. In other words, how often is the poor behavior expressed—once per day, five times a day, once a week? Obviously, if poor behavior only happens once a year on Halloween night, there shouldn’t be any real concern.

The tenure of the behavior, also, should be considered. That is, how long has the child expressed poor behavior—one week, three months, a year. If poor behavior goes on and on, there is a problem.

Finally, the severity of the behavior should be easily identified. Throwing a piece of paper certainly is not as severe as cursing, hitting, spitting, etc. As parents and teachers, we certainly should be able to distinguish whether a child’s behavior is severely expressed.

Before one is able to describe abnormal or different behavior, one should have common sense concepts of normal behavior. If one were to describe normal behavior, a judgment must be made concerning one’s own values and one’s immediate environment values. The environment and cultures are constantly changing, and the children must learn to switch from one role of behavior to different roles. Behavior and values which are acceptable in one school or city may not be tolerated in another school. Values of the child’s home or community may not be acceptable in school; therefore, this child must learn early in life that he will have to perform many different roles of acceptable behavior.

Adults must be aware that some children can succeed in one or more roles of life (e.g., school), but may be completely debilitated in another area (e.g., home or neighborhood);

therefore, the child’s total level of functioning must be considered when determining a child’s life adjustment.

The following information may be of value to parents and teachers who rear and teach children:

Symptoms expressed by the child

•   Feels insecure

•   Appears fearful or worried

•   Has a chip-on-shoulder attitude

•   Fails in school with no apparent reason

•   Has emotional blocks to learning

•   Knows something one day and forgets it the next

•   Will not respond unless he thinks he is right

•   Has a negative attitude

•   Thinks he is ill when nothing is wrong

•   Dislikes school

Possible reasons for behavior

•   Sudden change in child’s life—a crisis

•   Slow physical development

•   Early or rapid physical maturation

•   Slow social development

•   Lack of affection and encouragement from parents

•   Over-exacting parents—expect too much from child

•   Working or neglectful parents who are seldom at home

•   Problems with brothers and sisters

Possible solutions

•   Investigate his health condition

•   Investigate his intelligence to determine whether he can do the work expected of him

•   Let him express his emotions

•   Give him an opportunity to release his tensions

•   Give him physical activities

•   Provide interesting books and magazines on a wide variety of topics

•   Let him express himself in music, drama, P.E.

•   Allow time for rest

•   Consider psychological help

Children’s strange behaviors are many times the emission of and hopefully the detection of their problems. The child will express himself, possibly in many different avenues of behavior, and will undoubtedly defense his actions as being acceptable. Unknown to himself, and many times to those around him, the child is expressing a need for help through his unacceptable behavior.

If teachers and professionals are able to discover the cry for help from a disturbed child, they should consider many questions relevant to a particular child’s behavior and background. It should be noted, though, that a child does not necessarily emit all the characteristics that I have presented. Different behaviors are possible characteristics possessed in large numbers by some children, and possessed in small quantities by others.

1.   Does the child express excessive anger?

2.   Does the child appear hostile?

3.   Does the child have significant academic deficiencies?

4.   Does the child appear to maintain acceptable physical hygiene?

5.   Does the child appear to receive adequate sleep?

6.   Is the child sleepy and bored with school?

7.   Does the child appear negative?

8.   Is the child exceptionally hyperactive?

9.   Is the child significantly withdrawn from his peers?

10.   Does the child’s IQ score appear to be compatible with his functioning level?

11.   Does the child participate in extracurricular activities?

12.   Is the child destructive to property?

13.   Does the child have temper tantrums in school or at home?

14.   Is the child truant or tardy consistently?

15.   Does the child appear to be depressed or exhibit suicidal tendencies? (Please observe carefully.)

16.   Is the child suspicious of the teacher and his peers?

17.   Does the child appear to have hallucinations or delusions?

18.   Does the child complain of physical illnesses?

19.   Do the child’s moods vacillate from pleasant to unpleasant?

20.   Is there indication of sexual preoccupation?

21.   Is there indication of stealing, fire-setting, or enuretic (bed-wetting) behavior?

22.   Does the child exhibit sudden emotional outbursts?

23.   Is the child’s self-image depressed?

24.   Is the child accident prone?

25.   Does the child exhibit regressive forms of behavior?

26.   Is the child a perfectionist and succeeds academically?

27.   Does the child appear to be a day dreamer?

28.   Has the child had a migrant education program (moved a lot)?

29.   Has the child attended special classes?

30.   Has the child repeated grades in school?

The listed behaviors are generally expressed in the community of home and school, and are visible to the parents, teachers, and also to the children.

The Home

In today’s society, the family should be the primary source for a child’s socialization. Family life does or does not provide the foundation for later development of personality structures, self attitudes, and lifestyles. The family should offer the most influential learning in a child’s life. School is second.

Since World War II, society has become quite mobile. Professional jobs have caused families to move a lot and not establish in one community very long. Families have been fragmented.

Presently, as we progress to the years ahead, family/home disintegration has become even more prevalent. The child’s roots of where the home is and what the home represents relative to structure and security have left many children with very unknowing and unpredictable lifestyles. The child’s emotional security is then determined by his ability to separate the indicated stability and support of the home from the pseudo security of being accepted through antisocial behavior with his peers, drugs, or gangs.

A number of unfortunate home conditions bring about emotional maladjustment in children. Conditions in the home play an important role in developing a child’s personality. The home should give the child the feeling of security that grows from affection. The home environment should provide a basis for achievement.

Family conflicts seem to be greater in the homes of children who make low grades compared to homes with few academic difficulties. Therefore, it appears that an unfavorable home condition aggravates school learning problems, but the home situation may not be the only source of the child’s maladjustment. stressful