Special Education

Teaching Students with Mental Health Disorders:
Resources for Teachers: Volume 1 - Eating Disorders

Reflection: Adapting Our Expectations

Imagine that a student in your class has been diagnosed with an eating disorder. Consider how you might respond to the following circumstances as they arise in your classroom. Review the Teaching Students with Eating Disorders section to plan support or decide on the proposed course of action.

1. The student seems listless and unable to concentrate after returning from a brief hospital stay.

  • Remembering that malnutrition can affect energy level and cognitive functioning, what could you do to help this student?

2. The student has missed a lot of class time and is falling behind in course work, yet needs the course to graduate with peers.

  • Remembering that the student needs as normal a school experience as possible, what could you do to help this student reach the goal of graduation?

3. The student is sneaking junk food snacks throughout the class.

  • Remembering that the student needs as normal a classroom experience as possible, what are your class rules regarding eating?
  • Should you confront this student, or let it pass?

4. The student thinks rigidly and does not accept direction readily.

  • Remembering that control issues may be central to students with eating disorders, and that it is always unwise to enter into a power struggle, how might you accommodate the problematic learning style of this student?

5. The student is frequently disruptive, often talking with friends or moving about during class.

  • Remembering that while your educational expectations of a student with an eating disorder may have to be adapted, your behavioural expectations should not, how would you deal with this student?

Strategies:

  • Coping
  • Planning and building a network
  • Classroom Strategies
  • Supporting extended treatment program

Reflection Check: Possible Responses

The following responses are general, given the limited amount of information presented in each case. Despite the theoretical nature of this exercise, it is hoped that this will provide educators with a starting point when faced with parallel, but undoubtedly more complex, concerns in a real-life situation.

1. The student seems listless and unable to concentrate after returning from a brief hospital stay.

A student who has just returned to school after a hospital stay is likely still in the process of recovery. While it is frustrating for both the student and the teacher to have lost the former level of energy and concentration, for the time being, health rather than academics is the priority. To support this student the teacher may want to modify academic expectations by breaking assignments into manageable parts, allowing the student to rest, or to work on less demanding assignments. The student may no longer have mastery of material previously understood. This should not be an “issue.” Instead, the focus should be on making progress from where the student is currently.

2. The student has missed a lot of class time and is falling behind in course work, yet needs the course to graduate with peers.

Any student that has missed a considerable amount of time at school will need a clear plan to reach the goal of graduation. The plan may involve adjusting course selection and course load, or accessing alternative programs to achieve graduation, such as distance education or self-paced programs. These choices need to be discussed with the team supporting the student. These decisions will affect the student’s ability to meet the requirements in each course being studied. It is helpful if the individual classroom teacher is aware of the student’s overall program when adjusting expectations in a particular course. The classroom teacher can help the student achieve graduation by going over the expectations and helping the student to set realistic goals for achievement given the time available. The classroom teacher may work with the student to adapt the student’s schedule, assignments and course load so that the student can catch up. The teacher may also wish to consider alternative assignments that meet the same outcomes, but take less time to complete.

3. The student is sneaking junk food snacks throughout the class.

If your class has a “no food” rule, exceptions should not be made. The teacher may wish to sit down with the student and make arrangements for a reasonable break for a snack, if the student feels it is needed. The teacher may then enforce the classroom rules with this provision in mind. If no rule exists, snacking is not an issue. In either case, if you are concerned that the student may have an eating disorder, the first step is to keep a record of the behaviour observed. The second step is to share this information with colleagues, particularly the school counsellor.

4. The student thinks rigidly and does not accept direction readily.

With a student who thinks rigidly and does not take direction readily, it may be most important to think about how best to meet the communication-style needs of the student. Wherever possible, offer the student options so that the student will feel some control through expressing preferences. When giving directions, give the student forewarning and a generous amount of time in which to comply.

5. The student is frequently disruptive, often talking with friends or moving about during class.

An eating disorder does not make it acceptable for a student to behave in a disruptive way. The teacher’s response to the behaviour of this student should be consistent with the classroom management strategies used on a day-to-day basis. To make an exception for this student by ignoring the behaviour would work against the effort to “normalize” the classroom environment.

To support a student making the transition back to the classroom after a long absence it is important to maintain open lines of communication and to adapt expectations.