Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBDs)

The broader title for multiple disorders that all fall under a single category
o Examples

Anxiety and Attention Disorder, Bipolar, Conduct Disorder, Eating

Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Psychotic Disorder,
Depression, and Schizophrenia

Historical Significance
o Previously called mentally ill, psychopathology, behaviorally disordered
o In 1988, the National Mental Health and Special Education Coalition
adopted the term emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs)
o People used to think that people with EBDs were possessed by either evil
or divine spirits
o Early asylums or madhouses were similar to jails in that patients were
often shackled or chained to the wall.
o 1975, the Education for all Handicapped Children Act was passed.

Mandated more attention for students with EBDs

o IDEA was important because it specified that if you are removing them
from schools for disciplinary reasons then you couldnt deny them
alternate educational opportunities.

Causes
o There are no known causes for EBDs

Some theories have be researched

Heredity

Diet

Abuse

Stress

Lack of Supervision

Family History

Drug use during fetal development

However as far as we know there is no direct cause of EBDs

Demographics
o Affect 10-15% of children globally
o 8.3 million children aged 4-17 years have parents whove talked with a
health care provider or school staff about the childs EBD potential
o 2.9 million children have been prescribed medication for EBD

THERE ARE TWO CATEGORIES OF EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS

Internalized Behaviors: Infliction oneself with negative thoughts and

behaviors
o Characteristics

Social withdrawal

Not wanting to attend school

Not being able to have a normal conversation

Not having the ability to perform basic social tasks

Difficulty working with others

Anxiety

Headaches and stomach aches

Trouble concentrating

Trouble sleeping

Easily frustrated

Nervousness

Profuse sweating

Obsessing

Depression

Loneliness and sadness

Less energy

Frequent mood changes

Feeling guilty

Unbalanced diet

Angry outbursts

Thoughts of death

Externalizing Behaviors: acting out in a way that is disrupting and negative:

may be directed at another individual
o Characteristics

Aggression

Actions that may be considered delinquent

Being one who bullies

Being a disruption in the classroom

o Foul play
o Inappropriate language

Noncompliance

Missing important instruction

Social isolation

Refusal to complete required tasks

o In the classroom or at home

There are multiple settings in which students with EBDs can receive a fair
education:
o Public general education classroom
o Public SPED classroom (LRE or Inclusion)
o Alternative school
o Home schooling
o Clinical schooling (day treatment or residential environment)

MINI ACTIVITY (attached)

Key Research Based Strategies

o Students with EBDs have a tendency to hold negative attitudes toward

school. Because of this they often lack desire to try and succeed. In
order to avoid off-task behavior, teachers should take steps to
motivate these students to actively participate in the learning
environment
o Some ways this can be done:

The Conflict Resolution Program

Designed to help students work through conflicts by

creating safe classrooms

Focuses on problem solving

Peer-to-peer conflict resolution

Life Space Crisis Intervention

Program in which teachers learn to identify and defuse

classroom crises

Focus placed on being supportive of students emotions

Proved very successful with nondisabled students as

well as those with EBDs

SODA approach

Step-by-step strategy designed to teach children

successful social interactions both inside and outside
the classroom

Used mostly with Asperger Syndrome

Stop, Observe, Deliberate, Act

Special Education eligibility

o Not able to have normal relationships with teachers or peers
o Inability to learn
o Regular/long-lasting occurrence of unacceptable behavior
o Generally unhappy or depressed
o Gets upset over personal or school issues to the point of physical
symptoms