5.

The Highly Emotional Child

The highly emotional child reacts in an extreme fashion to conditions in the
environment. He lacks balance generally manifested in the well-adjusted youngster. He
may fret, cry, talk in loud tones, chew his fingernails or become physically ill over
relatively minor incidents. Usually, the child is unaware of the reasons for his feelings
and behavior, and he might be even unaware of the behavior itself or show no concern
for how it might appear others. Such behavior can become habitual and extremely
difficult to change.
SYMPTOMS
The behavior of the highly emotional child is often characterized by such
symptoms as follows:
1. Excessive squirming, purposeless movements, nervous hand movements,
twisting clothes, thumb sucking and biting objects.
2. Short attention span with a tendency to abandon a task before its completion.
3. Excessive movement about the room to sharpen a pencil or dispose of waste
paper and frequent requests to leave the room.
4. Easily aroused anger, becoming upset over minor incidents, often being on the
defensive and sometimes being cruel, destructive and unmanageable.
5. Uncontrollable muscle movement, facial tics, muscle rigidity, and abnormal bodily
movements.
6. Unpredictable and sporadic performance with achievement generally below the
level of capability.
7. Occasional temper tantrums with extremes in moods, becoming highly elated or
depressed with no apparent cause.
CAUSES
1. Unfavorable family relationships, including neglect, rejection, arguments
and frictions.
2. An absence of controls at home or school, or inconsistencies in
discipline.
3. Severe, unreasonable or harsh treatment and unrealistic demands and
pressures.
4. Frequent due to failure of the school to challenge the bright child
adequately or to provide appropriate experience for him.
5. Frustration due to failure of the school to challenge the bright child
adequately or to provide appropriate experience for him.
 6. Confusion and uncertainty due to conflicting standards of conduct and
morality within the childs environment.
TREATMENT
The best possible treatment for the highly emotional child is prevention.
Harper and Wright note that certain experience is crucial in enabling the
disturbed child to learn and that these experiences vary priority. They state that
these needs are in the following sequence:
a) safety; b) basic comfort; c) personal pleasures; d) self - respect; e) success
and challenge.
Any treatment suggested for the highly emotional child must take into
consideration his basic needs, and it must include a genuine interest in the child
as separate person worthy of love and deserving respect of his peer. In
attempting to provide for the highly emotional child, the school might:
1. Take the initiative in alleviating undesirable home conditions through
parent conferences, study groups and home visits.
2. Keep disciplinary and control measures reasonably consistent and
appropriate and avoid extremes of harsh treatment.
3. Provide adequate controls and assist the child to control his emotions and
manage the behavior.
4. Modify the expectations of the school to make it possible for the child to
succeed with a minimum of anxiety and provide counseling through which
he may gain confidence.
5. Provide for enrichment experiences in which the child is adequately
challenged and the opportunity to experience the thrill of success.
6. Make known to each child acceptable moral standards and codes of
conduct to serve as guides in his thinking and behavior.

CAUSES OF MISBEHAVIOR
1. General insecurity of the times.
2. Home conditions.
3. The school.
4. Economic status.
5. Racial status or regionalism.