Emotional or Behavioral Disorders

7/23/2019 Emotional or Behavioral Disorders

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Emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) are difficult to define. In fact,

some think that people are identified as having this disability when adults

in authority say so (allahan ! "auffman, #$$%). In other words, in many

cases the application of the definition is sub&ective. Definitions of this

disability, including the one used in IDE' $, are based on the one

developed by Eli Bower (*+%$, *+#). -ets first look at the federal

definition. IDE' $ uses the term emotional disturbanceto describe

students withemotional or behavioral disorders, which is the special

education category under which students whose behavioral or emotional

responses are not typical are served.

ld versions of IDE' used the term serious emotional disturbanceto

describe this disability area, but serious was dropped in *+++ when the

/.0. Department of Education created the regulations for the *++1

version of IDE'. 2he government did not, however, change the substance

of the definition when it changed the term. eres what it said about the

deletion3 45It6 is intended to have no substantive or legal significance. It

is intended strictly to eliminate the pe&orative connotation of the term

serious4 (/.0. Department of Education, *+++, p. *#7#). In addition,

some implied parts of the federal definition are important to understand.

8or e9ample, although only one characteristic listed in the IDE' $

definition need be present for the student to :ualify for special education,

whatever the characteristics, me childs educational performance must be

adversely affected. Because nearly all of us e9perience some mild

malad&ustment for short periods of our lives, the definition also re:uires

that the child e9hibit the characteristic for a long time and to a markeddegree, or significant level of intensity.

2he IDE' $ term and definition have been critici;ed by many

professionals ("auffman, #$$7). 2o them, using only the

wordemotional e9cludes students whose disability is only behavioral. 2he

e9clusion of students who are 4socially malad&usted4 contributes to this

misunderstanding because the term is not actually defined in IDE' $.


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Emotional or behavioral disorders can be divided into three groups that

are characteri;ed by3

*. E9ternali;ing behaviors

#. Internali;ing behaviorsC. -ow incidence disorders

0ome emotional or behavioral disorders manifest themselves

outwardly. Externalizing behaviorsconstitute an actingout style that

could be described as aggressive, impulsive, coercive, and noncompliant.

ther disorders are more accurately described as 4inward.4 Internalizing

behaviors are typical of an inhibited style that could be described as

withdrawn, lonely, depressed, and an9ious (resham et al., *+++).

0tudents who e9hibit e9ternali;ing and internali;ing behaviors,

respectively, are the two main groups of students with emotional or

behavioral disorders, but they do not account for all of the conditions that

result in placement in this special education category. 2he th edition of

theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual(D0) published by the

'merican =sychiatric 'ssociation ('=', #$$$) also describes disorders

usually first diagnosed in children, but not all of these are considered

disabilities by the federal government (tic disorders, mood disorder, and

conduct disorders). 2able 1.# defines and e9plains some of the common

e9ternali;ing and internali;ing behaviors seen in special education

students. >emember that conditions disturbing to other people are

identified more often and earlier. 2eachers must be alert to internali;ing

behaviors, which are e:ually serious but are not always identified, leaving

children without appropriate special education services. It may be that

teachers are less likely to notice internali;ing behaviors because they are

less likely than e9ternali;ing behaviors to interfere with instruction (-ane,

#$$C). 'lso, of course, emotional or behavioral disorders can coe9ist with

other disabilities. -ets look at each of these types in turn.Emotional or Behavioral Disorders Defined (page #)=rintCollect It!

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Externalizing Behaviors

Ghen we think about emotional or behavioral disorders, we probably firstthink of behaviors that are 4out of control4Haggressive behaviorse9pressed outwardly, usually toward other persons. 0ome typicale9amples are hyperactivity, a high level of irritating behavior that isimpulsive and distractible, and persistent aggression. oung children who

have serious challenging behaviors that persist are the mo likely to bereferred for psychiatric services (


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associated with e9ternali;ing behavior are hyperactivity, aggression, anddelin:uency. yperactivity was discussed in @hapter % because it is acommon characteristic of 'DD. >emember that 'DD and emotional orbehavioral disorders often occur in combination. 0o it shouldnt besurprising to find that hyperactivity is a common problem among these

children as well.

'ggression may be turned toward ob&ects, toward the self, or towardothers. 2he D0 does not directly define aggression, but it doesinclude elements of aggression in two of the disorders it describes3conduct disorders and oppositional defiant disorder. 'ggressive behavior,particularly when it is observed in very young children, is worrisome. 2hisis not &ust because of the behavior itselfHthough its ha;ards should notbe minimi;edHbut also because of its strong correlation with longtermproblems (dropping out of school, delin:uency, violence). ' pattern of

early aggressive acts beginning with annoying and bullying, followed byphysical fighting, is a clear pathway, especially for boys, to violence in lateadolescence (2albott ! 2hiede, *+++).

0ome C$ to 7$ percent of youth in correctional facilities are individualswith disabilities (IDE' =ractices, #$$#). In this group, learning disabilitiesand emotional or behavioral disorders are about e:ually represented (7and # percent, respectively). Delin:uency, or &uvenile delin:uency, isdefined by the criminal &ustice system rather than by the medical oreducational establishments. Delin:uency consists of the commission by

&uveniles of illegal acts, which could include crimes such as theft orassault. >emember that although some children who are delin:uent haveemotional or behavioral disorders, many do notH&ust as some childrenwith emotional or behavioral disorders are delin:uent but many are not.owever, it is very important to understand that many of these childrenare at great risk for being involved with the criminal &ustice system(Edens ! tto, *++1). 2heir rates of contact with the authorities aredisproportionately high. Ghile still in high school, students with emotionalor behavioral disorders are *C times more likely to be arrested than otherstudents with disabilities (/.0. Department of Education, #$$*).

Emotional or Behavioral Disorders Defined (page C)

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Internali;ing Behaviors

Internali;ing behaviors are typically e9pressed by being sociallywithdrawn. E9amples of internali;ing behaviors include

'nore9ia or bulimia

Depression

'n9iety

0erious eating disorders that usually occur during students teenage yearsare anorexia and bulimia (ickson, ! 0tandeven, #$$$). 2hesedisorders occur because of individuals (typically girls) preoccupation withweight and body image, their drive for thinness, and their fear ofbecoming fat. egardless of the cause, teachers can help by spottingthese preoccupations early and seeking assistance from the schoolssupport team or school nurse.

It is often difficult to recogni;e depression in children. 'mong thecomponents of depression are guilt, selfblame, feelings of re&ection,lethargy, low selfesteem, and negative selfimage. 2hese tendencies areoften overlooked or may be e9pressed in behaviors that appear to signal adifferent problem entirely. Because childrens behavior when they aredepressed often appears so different from the depressed behavior ofadults, teachers and parents may have difficulty recogni;ing thedepression. 8or e9ample, a severely depressed child might attempt toharm himself by running into a busy street or hurling himself off a ledge.'dults might assume that this behavior was normal because manychildren accidentally do those things, or they might minimi;e itsseriousness. In addition, children usually do not have the vocabulary,personal insight, or e9perience to recogni;e and label feelings ofdepression.

8inally, anxiety disordersmay be demonstrated as intense an9iety uponseparation from family, friends, or a familiar environmentA as e9cessiveshrinking from contact with strangersA or as unfocused, e9cessive worryand fear. 'n9iety disorders are difficult to recogni;e in children. Becausewithdrawn children engage in very low levels of positive interactions withtheir peers, peer rating scales may help educators identify thesedisorders. @hildren with internali;ing behavior problems, regardless of thetype, tend to be underidentified, and this leaves many of them at risk ofremaining untreated or receiving needed services later than they should.8or those who do receive intervention support, medications such as

antidepressants and antian9iety agents may be a component of a morecomprehensive intervention plan. If these youngsters are taking


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medications, it is important for teachers and parents to workcollaboratively to ensure that medication is delivered as prescribed,particularly if medication to be taken during the school day.

Emotional or Behavioral Disorders Defined (page C)

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By D.D. 0mith=earson 'llyn Bacon =rentice all

Internalizing Behaviors

Internali;ing behaviors are typically e9pressed by being sociallywithdrawn. E9amples of internali;ing behaviors include

'nore9ia or bulimia

Depression

'n9iety

0erious eating disorders that usually occur during students teenage yearsare anorexia and bulimia (ickson, ! 0tandeven, #$$$). 2hesedisorders occur because of individuals (typically girls) preoccupation withweight and body image, their drive for thinness, and their fear ofbecoming fat. egardless of the cause, teachers can help by spottingthese preoccupations early and seeking assistance from the schoolssupport team or school nurse.It is often difficult to recogni;e depression in children. 'mong thecomponents of depression are guilt, selfblame, feelings of re&ection,lethargy, low selfesteem, and negative selfimage. 2hese tendencies areoften overlooked or may be e9pressed in behaviors that appear to signal adifferent problem entirely. Because childrens behavior when they are

depressed often appears so different from the depressed behavior ofadults, teachers and parents may have difficulty recogni;ing thedepression. 8or e9ample, a severely depressed child might attempt toharm himself by running into a busy street or hurling himself off a ledge.'dults might assume that this behavior was normal because manychildren accidentally do those things, or they might minimi;e itsseriousness. In addition, children usually do not have the vocabulary,personal insight, or e9perience to recogni;e and label feelings ofdepression.8inally, anxiety disordersmay be demonstrated as intense an9iety upon

separation from family, friends, or a familiar environmentA as e9cessiveshrinking from contact with strangersA or as unfocused, e9cessive worry
http://www.education.com/print/emotional-behavioral-disorders-defined/http://www.education.com/reference/article/emotional-behavioral-disorders-defined/?page=3http://www.education.com/partner/articles/pearson/http://www.education.com/print/emotional-behavioral-disorders-defined/http://www.education.com/reference/article/emotional-behavioral-disorders-defined/?page=3http://www.education.com/partner/articles/pearson/


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and fear. 'n9iety disorders are difficult to recogni;e in children. Becausewithdrawn children engage in very low levels of positive interactions withtheir peers, peer rating scales may help educators identify thesedisorders. @hildren with internali;ing behavior problems, regardless of thetype, tend to be underidentified, and this leaves many of them at risk of

remaining untreated or receiving needed services later than they should.8or those who do receive intervention support, medications such asantidepressants and antian9iety agents may be a component of a morecomprehensive intervention plan. If these youngsters are takingmedications, it is important for teachers and parents to workcollaboratively to ensure that medication is delivered as prescribed,particularly if medication to be taken during the school day.

E9amples of E9ternali;ing and Internali;ing Behavior =roblems

Externalizing Behaviors

Internalizing

Behaviors

Fiolates basic rights of others E9hibits painful shyness

Fiolates societal norms or rules Is teased by peers

as tantrums Is neglected by peers

0tealsA causes property loss or damage Is depressed

Is hostile or defiantA argues Is anore9ic

Ignores teachers reprimands Is bulimic

Demonstrates obsessiveJcompulsive

behaviors Is socially withdrawn

@auses or threatens physical harm to

people or animals 2ends to be suicidal

/ses lewd or obscene gestures

as unfounded fears

and phobias

Is hyperactive

2ends to have low self

esteem

as e9cessive worries

=anics


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-ow Incidence Disorders

0ome disorders occur very infre:uently but are :uite serious when they

do occur. @onsider schi;ophrenia, which can have tragic conse:uences for

the individuals involved and their families.Schizophrenia, sometimes

considered a form of psychosis or a type of pervasive developmental

disability ('=', #$$$), is an e9tremely rare disorder in children, although

appro9imately * percent of the general population over the age of * has

been diagnosed as having schi;ophrenia. Ghen it occurs, it places great

demands on service systems. It usually involves bi;arre delusions (such

as believing ones thoughts are controlled by the police), hallucinations

(such as voices telling one what to think), 4loosening4 of associations

(disconnected thoughts), and incoherence. 0chi;ophrenia is most

prevalent between the ages of *7 and 7, and e9perts agree that the

earlier the onset, the more severe the disturbance in adulthood(?ewcomer, *++C). @hildren with schi;ophrenia have serious difficulties

with schoolwork and often must live in special hospital and educational

settings during part of their childhood. 2heir IE=s are comple9 and re:uire

the collaboration of members from a multidisciplinary team.

Excluded Behavior Problems

2wo groups of childrenHthe socially maladjustedand those with

conduct disordersHare not eligible for special education services (unless

they have another :ualifying condition as well). ?either group is included

in the IDE' $ definition. 'lthough social malad&ustment is widelydiscussed, particularly when politicians and educators talk about discipline

and violence in schools, IDE' $ does not call it out as a special

education category or as a subcategory of emotional or behavioral

disorders. In me D0, the '=' defines conduct disorders as 4a

repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior in which the basic rights of

others or ma&or ageappropriate societal norms or rules are violated4

(#$$$, p. +C). 0ection 7$ and 'D' do not have e9clusions for social

malad&ustment, so the educational system is re:uired to make

accommodations for these students even though they do not :ualify for

special education services (Kirkel, *+++).2he law is clear that social malad&ustment and conduct disorders are not

subsets of emotional or behavioral disorders, but how to help such

students, in practice, is much less clear (@ostenbader ! Buntaine, *+++).

Ghy is there confusion about the educational needs of children who are

socially malad&usted or who have conduct disordersL 0ome e9planations

are related to definitional issuesA others are related to what people think

is best for the students involved ("auffman, *+++A Galker et al., #$$*).

ere are five reasons3

*. ?o generally agreedupon definition of social malad&ustment e9ists.


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#. It is very difficult to distinguish students with e9ternali;ing

emotional or behavioral disorders from students with conduct

disorders.

C. ' more inclusive definition will increase special education enrollment

to levels beyond tolerance and acceptability.. Because the needs of students with conduct disorders are best met

by specialists prepared to deal with their problems, they should be

identified as special education students, even if technically they do

not :ualify as students with disabilities.

7.

Emotional or Behavioral Disorders

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