Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities

History and Development of Services

Students with disabilities, including those with emotional and behavioral needs, for many years were excluded from participation in school settings with children without disabilities. Alternative settings were developed to separate students who were considered “defective” from those who were thought to be “normal.” Some of the first services provided to students and other individuals who exhibited emotional or behavioral difficulties at that time were provided through residential institutions called asylums during the 18th century. Similarly, state mental institutions were a common placement option for children and youth with emotional and behavioral disabilities during the 19th century. However, during the early 1900s, the emphasis on institutionalized treatment of students with emotional and behavioral disabilities began to shift to family participation in decision making. More attention also was directed toward community-based services, including services provided within local school districts. Although a number of separate schools specifically served students with disabilities, the 20th century was a period when increased emphasis was placed on educating students with emotional and behavioral disabilities and other special learning needs in the same classrooms with typical learners. Today, even greater emphasis is placed on making sure students with emotional and behavioral disabilities not only attend class with their nondisabled peers but are full and welcome members of a classroom community in which they are able to participate with appropriate supports and accommodations. The term emotional and behavioral disability has been used by professionals in education and related fields to describe students who experience difficulty coping with their emotions or managing their behavior, or both, to the extent that it makes learning in the general classroom setting difficult for them and often for their peers. Teachers of students with emotional and behavior disabilities find it difficult to carry out classroom routines and manage challenging behavior. Sometimes these students experience difficulties in the home as well as in the community. Thus, improving the academic and social experiences of students with, or at risk for, emotional and behavior disabilities, as well as their post-school outcomes, is a major concern for educators, families, and the public.

Identification and Characteristics

Identifying a student with the disability label of emotional and behavioral disability begins with a referral. A student's challenging behavior at school and often at home usually prompts a teacher or parent/caregiver to seek support in addressing the student's needs. Assessments such as behavior rating scales, interviews with parents and teachers, academic achievement tests, and observations can be used to identify students in this disability category. Once the student has been identified, special education law requires that a functional behavioral assessment (FBA) be conducted to determine the function or purpose of the challenging behavior exhibited by a student. Once that determination is [Page 774]made and factors that contribute to the onset and maintenance of challenging behavior are identified, a behavior intervention plan is developed and put into place to reduce or eliminate target behavior and replace it by reinforcing desirable behavior. Significantly more males than females are identified as having emotional and behavioral disabilities. In urban settings, these students are most likely to also be African American, affected by poverty, and in a household headed by a single adult. In the classroom, students with emotional and behavioral disabilities are more likely to exhibit off-task behavior, avoid initiating and/or completing classroom assignments, and neglect following verbal or written directions and school rules. Physical aggression, poor relationships with peers and teachers, and a consistent mood of unhappiness are common external characteristics of students with emotional disabilities. However, students with internalized characteristics tend to be anxious, depressed, or withdrawn.

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