Any severe and long-lasting trait that hinders a child's education or relationship with others and/or causes inappropriate behavior.

Teaching Tips:

• Try to keep the teaching and testing procedures as similar to that of the general student population as possible, especially when working with students with only mild behavior problems.
  
• Reward students for behaving or trying a new activity.
  
• Establish short-term goals that can be easily achieved.
  
• Clearly state what will happen if the students obey or disobey.
  
• Be consistent.
  
• Emphasize that it is their behavior, not them, that you find unacceptable.
  
• Get the students moving! Studies have shown that as little as 10 minutes of jogging a day can significantly reduce behavior problems in the classroom.
  
• Concentrate on motor-skill proficiency. Research indicates that students with emotional disabilities are less proficient at motor skills than their peers. These children aren't naturally clumsy; their behavior problems have just kept them from learning motor skills as well as other students.
  
• Be a good example.
  
• Never lose you temper, no matter how bad the students behave.
  
• Sometimes ignoring students who constantly misbehave works best. The attention these students receive through your scolding may be reinforcing their behaving rather than decreasing it. Praise or reward these students as soon as they follow your instructions.