Fostering Resilience: Engaging Students
Who Internalize Their Struggles

Content on demand

Live Recording

This course was written by a real live human and is presented by them too.

Intermediate

Expands on basic knowledge with practical applications and more complex concepts.

1 CEUs

Your certificate of completion will be for 1 learning CEUs, including 0 ETH and 0 SUP.
ICEC '24
In this presentation, Board Certified Behavior Analyst Heather Volchko unpacks the often-overlooked world of internalizing behaviors in students—those quiet signs of anxiety, depression, and emotional strain that impact learning without disrupting class. Drawing on her experience in corrections education, program evaluation, and systems work, Volchko explains how these behaviors show up, how to recognize them using diagnostic tools and observation, and how to navigate the murky criteria for emotional disturbance eligibility. The session also introduces concrete, research-backed classroom strategies—like structured wait time, listening with grace, and individualized support—that empower educators to better engage internalizers and create classrooms where every student is expected and supported to participate.

What will I learn?

Objectives

Participation

 Audience

   Internalizing behaviors like anxiety, depression, and emotional strain can significantly affect students' performance, even when they appear compliant or high-achieving.
   Federal criteria for emotional disturbance are often vague and inconsistently applied, making eligibility decisions especially challenging for internalizers.
   Classroom strategies such as structured wait time, reduced verbal input, and intentional trust-building are essential for engaging and supporting students with internalizing behavior patterns.
This learning opportunity is relevant for:
       General Educators
       Special Educators
       Paraprofessionals
       Behavior Technicians
       Behavior Analysts
   self-guided learning on-demand
   58 minutes of video learning
   3 question learning check
   certificate of completion

Peek inside your course:

Who am I learning from?

Heather Volchko

Heather Volchko is a school-based consultant and program evaluator specializing in emotional and behavioral disorders, contextual behavior analysis, organizational behavior management, and leadership psychology. She has been a coordinator, teacher, and paraprofessional in therapeutic, alternative, self-contained, resource, and correctional settings. Outside of her professional work, she has worked abroad with various international education organizations as well as stateside with organizations facilitating upward mobility. Heather is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with her Bachelors in Special Education, Masters in Educational Psychology, and is currently pursuing her doctorate.

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