The Effects of Exercise and Teaching Intervention on Youth with Behavioral and Emotional Disabilities

Abstract

The population of today's schools is an ever-diversifying group. We are dealing with the main-line "normal" students and the ever-increasing group of students with varying disabilities. Teaching professionals and the schools work in coordination with one another in educating and assisting the development of these students with disabilities. The approach in helping the student with emotional and/or behavioral disorders must be multi-faceted but also inter-linked. The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between three types of physical education/recreation programs and the effect of each on students with emotional and/or behavioral disabilities. The research was limited to adolescents with the diagnosis of either Conduct Disorder, Adolescent Onset Type (DSM-IV: 312.8), or Depressive Disorder (DSM-IV: 113). Three types of treatment approaches from the Recreation/Physical Education Department were studied. Treatment Model 1 was based on a treatment approach of 100% involvement in physical activity and sport. Treatment Model 2 was based ona treatment approach of 75% physical activity/sport and 25% of life skills, social skills, leisure education/awareness, Junior Achievement, and self- awareness. Treatment Model 3 was based on a treatment approach of 50% physical activity/sport and 50% of independent living skills, community service, Junior Achievement, nutritional education and planning, and issues dealing with being an adolescent. The first portion of this thesis was dedicated to providing existing information about the studied disabilities and their definitions, treatment, and research dedicated to the effects of exercise/physical activity on the human mind. The purpose of this section is to provide background data and information relevant to this study. Data analysis of this thesis' study was divided into two areas. First, the effectiveness of each treatment model in decreasing anti-social/negative behaviors in the students was compared. Second, the effectiveness of each treatment model in increasing pro-social behavior was compared. Research findings disclosed that all three treatment models had a positive effect in decreasing negative behaviors with the students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders. Results also described to what degree each treatment model impacted the students in decreasing negative behaviors and increasing pro-social behaviors. Further analysis shows the variance of effectiveness of each model with each studied diagnosis. The comparison of results of the various treatment models in this study may assist in the development of practical and effective treatment approaches ·for the physical education/ recreation professional in treating students with emotional and/or behavioral disabilities.

Notes

This item is only available in print in the UCF Libraries. If this is your thesis or dissertation, you can help us make it available online for use by researchers around the world by STARS for more information.

Thesis Completion

2000

Semester

Fall

Advisor

Higginbotham, Patricia

Degree

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

College

College of Education

Degree Program

Physical Education

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Education; Education -- Dissertations, Academic

Format

Print

Identifier

DP0021639

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Document Type

Honors in the Major Thesis

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS