by Don Rainwater

Created on: May 11, 2008   Last Updated: May 13, 2008

There is a growing epidemic in America. The emotionally disabled and the behaviorally challenged students of United States are protected by the No Child Left Behind legislation and programs are being created to help teach these children that have previously been shunned or expelled.

Many behavior teachers are emergency hires that have little experience with the emotionally disabled students in their classroom and very little knowledge of how to teach them.

Don and Kellie Rainwater of Sheridan, Wyoming has recently written the book "How to Manage a Behavior Classroom: A Beginners Guide to Teaching the Emotionally Disabled and the Oppositional Defiant Child," to give these impromptu teachers a guideline in which to educate, but more important, to keep order in the classroom and teach these students proper behavior and anger management.

Don Rainwater has worked with the emotionally disabled for over six years in both the public and private school systems. He and his wife, Kellie, have had over 20 foster children living in their homes that were afflicted with an emotional disability or a behavior disorder.

This book was written not only to educate special education teachers, but also mainstream teachers and parents. It is written from experience of what works and what does not work.

R. Malove, and Amazon.com reviewer left this review, "I worked for years in a special education environment, and I found this book to be a refreshing, straightforward look at the reality of working with students in this type of classroom. For once you don't have a "teacher" urging you to encourage your students to reach the same goals as mainstream students. Instead, it focuses on giving these students precisely what they need-a classroom geared toward their personal needs that will give them the best chance of success. Whether you have worked with children for years or are preparing to step into your first classroom, this book is a must-read.

Timothy D. Webster resounds the praises, "I am a new father of a pretty rambunctious toddler. My parents tell me that his fierce independence and inability to focus on things outside his immediate interests is exactly how I was growing up. Since becoming a parent they have taught me many things that DIDN'T work for them, but this book allowed me to see these behaviors from another perspective. In my own experience, I learned (many times the hard way) how to deal with social situations. I hope to be able to prepare my son in a way that is focused and consistent while at the same time not breaking his will. This book goes a long way in giving me the tools I will need to do that. After reading the book I was also left with a strong admiration to those who choose to take on these challenges as a full-time profession.

You can find this amazing book on amazon.com Learn what makes this kids tick and how to create a safe, educational environment while at the same time providing a nurturing and understanding school day.

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