Emotional And Behavioral Disabilities Research Articles

Momentary Affective Experiences of Teachers Serving Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities in Self-Contained Settings

Emotions play an important role in the work of teachers serving students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD), yet little is known about teachers’ momentary affective experiences. In this study, we collected 710 surveys regarding momentary affect from 14 teachers of students with EBD. We used descriptive analysis and variance decomposition to examine the frequency, intensity, and variability of these experiences. We then tested a series of models to explore how specific professional activities relate to teachers’ momentary affect. We found that teachers experienced positive affect more frequently and intensely than negative affect and that large proportions of the variation in positive and negative affect can be attributed to variation within individual teachers across time points. For these teachers, engaging in discipline was significantly associated with a higher negative affect, whereas engaging in instructional activities was associated with a higher positive affect. We discuss implications for researchers and practitioners.

Educators' emotional work in service of high school students with emotional and behavioral disabilities: A case study of a sub-separate alternative program

In this case study, we explore the emotional experiences of educators working in an alternative program for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD). Through thematic analysis of data from open-ended interviews with 11 educators, we investigate how educators make sense of their decisions to regulate the display of their emotions. We find that educators' strategic use of their emotional expressions to serve students is informed by two forms of emotional work: 1) gathering data on students' emotional needs and competencies and 2) defining and negotiating their roles and responsibilities within the organizational system. We discuss implications for researchers, teacher educators, and school leaders.

A Conceptual Framework: Creating Socially Just Schools for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities

Students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD) are among the most marginalized group of students in ourschools. In essence, students with EBD are often denied their civil right to a free and appropriate public education(FAPE) which is a social justice issue. Teachers who become social justice allies are more likely to create a sociallyjust school when they promote the implementation of multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) throughevidence-based practices (EBP) for positive behavior interventions and supports through a social justice lens.Implementing these interventions while being social justice allies in socially just schools offer the best opportunityfor students with EBD to receive an equitable and socially just education in schools thereby achieving social justiceregarding their civil right to a FAPE.

Haunted Trauma Narratives of Inclusion, Race, and Disability in a School Community

By typical definitions in the special education world, inclusion would not be recognizable as it exists at Memorial Elementary. Memorial is responding to a widely documented trend in public schools: over-representation of students of color, particularly Black and Brown students, in high-incidence special education categories, including emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD). I conceptualize EBD as unacknowledged suppression of hauntings from transgenerational trauma—legacies of institutional racism, poverty, and attempts at dehumanization. My primary hypothesis is that Memorial’s practice and ethic of unconditional belonging has been a transformation afforded by being haunted. I argue that haunted trauma narratives affirm and reconstruct the personhood of students of color with ghosts of trauma. Through narrativizing, students of color and educators rebuild inclusion from difference-as-allowed toward Martin Luther King Jr.’s (2001) “beloved community” (p. 458). That is, Memorial has redesigned school structures, educators’ beliefs and practices, interactions with children and their families, and other aspects of everyday systems to be organized around the intersections of race, trauma, identity, and community. Though dreaming is undeniably difficult, Memorial also illustrates the transformative power of affective forces from ghosts that demand hope, justice, and healing.

Raising the bar: Teaching kindergartners with emotional and behavioral disabilities and teachers’ readiness expectations

This study examined whether kindergarten teachers’ school readiness expectations differed in classrooms with and without children with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD). Using teacher observations from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten Class of 2010–11, where observations were selected based on a three stage sampling design to ensure national representation, we relied on a school fixed effects methodology given the large sample of teachers teaching classrooms with (N = 390) and without (N = 3480) students with EBDs. Using readiness expectations scales derived from teacher-reported survey items, we found that academic readiness expectations were no different across teachers but teachers with students with an EBD have higher social readiness expectations. The characteristics of teachers and classrooms did not consistently moderate readiness expectations. These findings indicate that teachers hold similar, and in some cases higher, expectations for students in classrooms with diverse learning differences and behavioral needs.

General education teachers’ math instructional practices in kindergarten classrooms with and without students with emotional and behavioral disabilities

Including students with disabilities in general education classrooms is a priority nationwide, but little is known whether classroom compositions have implications for frequencies of classroom activities. This study focuses on kindergarten classrooms that do and do not have students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBDs). Using national data, we found teachers reported greater frequency of traditional math activities if they had students with EBDs in their classroom. Teachers in classrooms with students with EBDs reported more frequencies of math content that involved advanced practical and writing skills. Differences in findings arose based on teacher qualifications. Implications for policy are discussed.

Inclusion of Students With Learning, Emotional, and Behavioral Disabilities Through Strength-Based Approaches

As more and more students with learning disabilities (LD) and emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD) find themselves in an inclusive, general education setting, there is a need to find ways to maximize their educational performance. One promising approach is to use growth mindset training to help students move away from deficit thinking and instead use strengths-based thinking. This column explains the meaning of growth mindset theory and includes a rationale that explains why this approach may be particularly beneficial for students with LD and EBD. A brief review of past studies investigating the use of growth mindset that highlights the positive potential of this inexpensive, easy-to-implement approach is presented. Finally, a nine-step process for incorporating a growth mindset into the inclusive classroom setting is provided and tools to be used by teachers working with students with LD and EBD are included.

Social Capital Considerations in Transition for Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities

Students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD) continue to have poor transition outcomes despite the continued advancement of evidence-based transition planning practices. Strategies tailored to the specific needs of students with EBD must be researched and disseminated to practitioners. A social capital approach to transition planning for students with EBD is one way to target this population. Social capital, or the power of relationships and networks to provide resources and support, has been linked to improved academic, employment, and independent living outcomes. This article (a) defines social capital as it relates to relationships, networks, and social skills, (b) presents steps for a social capital approach to transition, and (c) discusses a graphic organizer to assist students and transition teams to track social capital over time.

Integrating social studies and social skills for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities: A mixed methods study

Research indicates that academic growth and student behavior are inextricably linked. Schools that systematically address both academic and social/emotional learning (SEL) have shown increased student achievement when compared to schools that do not address both factors (Elliott, Huai & Roach, 2007; Hawken, Vincent & Schumann, 2008). Even with this understanding, outcomes for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD) continue to be of concern (Bradley, Doolittle & Bartolotta, 2008). This study explores the effectiveness of integrating SEL and social studies learning in the self-contained special education classroom for students with EBD using Storypath, an inquiry-based social studies curriculum. We hypothesized that the systematic integration of SEL opportunities into meaningful, well-planned and engaging academic instruction could provide students with an opportunity to authentically learn and practice key social and academic skills. Quantitative findings via an online survey and qualitative findings via interviews and observations indicate that students with EBD can successfully engage in less structured and more cognitively challenging academic activities and use SEL skills effectively in the context of these lessons.

Effects of Direct Instruction Plus Procedural Facilitation on the Expository Writing of Adolescents with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities in Residential Schools

This study investigated the effects of the Expressive Writing (EW) direct instruction curriculum on the expository writing skills of secondary grade students with serious emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD). The EW program targets writing mechanics, sentence writing, and editing but does not include pre-writing writing instruction. Thus, we investigated the effects of adding a pre-writing procedural facilitator (PF) with EW . Using a repeated-measures quasi-experimental design, we matched and randomly assigned twenty-nine secondary grade students with EBD to one of two treatment groups (1) EW alone or (2) EW plus PF. Students received 11 consecutive weeks of daily 50-min instruction. We employed hierarchical growth modeling to analyze nearly 1500 permanent products. Results indicated statistically significant intra-individual writing growth regardless of treatment group. Moreover, the EW plus PF group exhibited faster linear growth ( p = .055) across the duration of the intervention.

Employment Preparation and Life Skill Development Initiatives for High School Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities

Employment preparation and life skill development are crucial in assisting students identified as having emotional and behavioral disabilities with successfully transitioning to adulthood following high school. This article outlines four initiatives that a school counselor developed with other school personnel to promote work skills, life skills, and social and emotional development, which include (a) a school vegetable garden, (b) a raised worm bed, (c) a sewing group, and (d) community collaboration. The authors also discuss implications for school counselors and recommendations for future research.Keywords: school counseling, life skills, transition, disabilities, adolescentsHigh school counselors, teachers and other school personnel are in the unique position of providing resources to help students transition from high school to early adulthood. This transition may involve preparation for college or development of employment skills for students who plan to enter the workforce rather than attend college. Life skill development (e.g., communication, problem-solving skills, financial management) is also crucial for young people as they transition out of high school.The transition from high school to adulthood can be especially difficult for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) defines the term emotional disturbance as follows:a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child's educational performance: (a) an inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors; (b) an inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers; (c) inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances; (d) a general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression; (e) a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.Specifically in Florida, where the innovative program discussed in this article was developed, a student with an emotional or behavioral disability is defined as having persistent (is not sufficiently responsive to implemented evidence-based interventions) and consistent emotional or behavioral responses that adversely affect performance in the educational environment that cannot be attributed to age, culture, gender, or ethnicity (Exceptional Student Education Eligibility for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities, 2009, para.l). In 2000, researchers reported that approximately 230,081 children and adolescents in the United States were receiving services within the serious emotional disturbances category, with an estimated 1.15% within the age range of 13-16 years old (Cameto, Wagner, Newman, Blackorby, & Javitz, 2000). These students often have multiple obstacles to overcome including (a) social, (b) emotional, (c) academic, and (d) environmental challenges (Lehman, Clark, Bullis, Rinkin, & Castellanos, 2002). Therefore, it is crucial to create programs to assist these students in developing the knowledge and skills needed to make a successful transition to adulthood.Transitioning to adulthood may involve continued education or full-time employment. However, young people in general are often ill-prepared to enter the workforce (Burgstahler, 2001); therefore, it is imperative that schools provide job training to help prepare students who plan to enter the workforce following high school. In regard to students with disabilities, the IDEA Amendments of 1997 and the IDEA of 2004 outline the responsibility of schools to help high school students transition to adulthood. Specifically, IDEA requires schools to begin transition planning for students with disabilities by age 14 and to have transition services specified within a student's Individual Education Program (IEP) by age 16 (Sabbatino & Macrine, 2007). …

Preliminary Psychometrics of the Participatory Evaluation and Expert Review for Classrooms Serving Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities (PEER-EBD)

The quality of classrooms serving students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD) is a continuing concern because of its influence on students’ educational outcomes. Program evaluation of classrooms for students with EBD has been a recommended practice for many years since Grosenick, George, and George (1987) conducted their national study. One current approach to program evaluation has been the inclusion of classroom and school staff in a process known as participatory evaluation. The development of a program evaluation instrument, known as the Participatory Evaluation and Expert Review for Classrooms Serving Students with EBD (PEER-EBD), is reviewed in this article. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of validity and reliability for the PEER-EBD. An extensive literature review and subsequent evaluation by an expert panel established the content validity of the instrument. Data collected from 145 educators in 23 classrooms serving students with EBD revealed that the PEER-EBD has excellent internal consistency reliability. Finally, a confirmatory factor analysis supported the four-factor theoretical model of the PEER-EBD and suggested that the instrument has acceptable construct validity. These initial results suggest that the PEER-EBD has promise as a tool to help school staff self-evaluate their services, identify program strengths, and identify the areas that need further improvement.

The Effects of a Dog Reading Visitation Program on Academic Engagement Behavior in Three Elementary Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities: A Single Case Design

Children with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD) struggle with behavioral problems during reading activities in school. One way to address these concerns may be through dog reading programs which are increasing in popularity in schools and libraries. Preliminary anecdotal research suggests dog reading programs may improve academic engagement behavior for students with EBD who struggle with reading. The purpose of this pilot study was to systematically evaluate the effects of a dog reading visitation program on academic engagement behaviors of elementary aged children with emotional and behavioral disabilities. Participants included three elementary aged students with emotional behavioral disabilities. A multiple probe single case design across students was used to examine the impact of the dog reading program on on-task-reading aloud behaviors. During baseline and maintenance conditions, students read aloud to themselves while during intervention, students read aloud to a therapy dog. The results indicated that all three students experienced increases in on-task behaviors during intervention and maintained improvements over time. Students indicated they enjoyed the dog reading program and increased on-task behavior was observed. Social validity was conferred by the teacher who observed improvements in behavior during intervention. Suggestions for future research include expanding the study with more participants, examining the students reading skills in addition to behavior, incorporating dogs or other animals into other reading activities, and examining the impact of animals in other academic interventions.

Transition Tips for Educators Working With Students With Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities

Students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD) have had difficulties in achieving educational, vocational, and community outcomes that would lead to personal success and satisfaction. Some of these outcomes relate to how special education transition programs integrate effective approaches to support success with these students. In this article, five primary suggestions, (1) self-determination, (2) appropriate assessment, (3) personal future’s planning, (4) individualized education programs carefully linked with transition plans, and (5) naturally supported, successful academic, vocational, and community placements, are described to improve the transition planning of youth with EBD.

How Gender Affects Students with Behavioral Disabilities

When should “deviant” behavior not actually be considered deviant? When it's the result of messages sent by the environment and social institutions. For some, it's a legitimate reaction to frustration with society's messages and the environment that contributes to it. This is especially true of students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBDs). “All behavior happens in context,” said Dr. John Palladino, a key consideration when dealing with students with these disabilities. All schools have seen a rise of students with emotional and behavioral disabilities. Advances in pharmaceuticals and cognitive behavioral therapy have enabled affected students to enroll in college in increasing numbers, bringing new and unforeseen challenges to the classroom and the campus. Like all students, those with EBDs interpret their environments and their gendered messages. But EBD students can experience those environments and settings in ways that may contribute to their problematic behavior. The environment also offers clues as to how to intervene when a problem arises. Palladino, an associate professor of special education at Eastern Michigan University, teaches and researches in special education services and teaches in the women and gender studies program. He spoke about how gender and environmental messages influence students with EBDs at the University of Nebraska's conference on Women in Educational Leadership held in Lincoln in October. The National Association of School Psychologists defines an emotional or behavioral disorder as: a condition in which behavioral or emotional responses of an individual in school are so different from his/her generally accepted, age appropriate, ethnic or cultural norms that they adversely affect performance in such areas of self care, social relationships, personal adjustment, academic progress, classroom behavior or work adjustment. EBD diagnoses can include schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, affective disorders or sustained disturbances of behavior, emotions, attention or adjustment. Eating disorders, so prevalent in women, also fall the category. Environmental factors are one of the causes of EBDs. They represent the people and systems that affect the student and her relationship between the instructional, social and community environments. These factors directly influence or contribute to gendered responses. Palladino thinks there's another way. He wants to open a conversation about the role that gender and sexuality plays in students with EBDs. “We have to acknowledge the fact that there's a difference between sex and gender,” he said. Behaviors can be considered feminine and masculine. But those terms don't always correspond to the “appropriate” gender. When a female exhibits masculine behavior by being overly aggressive, or a male demonstrates excessive feminine behavior, the resulting backlash can trigger an outburst of bad behavior. Drawing on the work of hip-hop artist Eminem whose songs slur gays, Palladino pointed out that the songs aren't at all about gays or sexuality. “It's his commentary on masculinity; on men who aren't masculine enough,” said Palladino. “The lowest, most degrading thing to say to a man is to call him a faggot.” Too many women athletes are dismissed as lesbians simply because of their prowess at their sport. Being straight and a talented athlete aren't supposed to coexist. Because the processing of messages doesn't happen in a vacuum, students absorb those societal messages and use them to interpret who they are, what the “street codes” mean and the way a student should present herself in school if she wants to be a part of a certain group. Palladino thinks that the part of the code messaging that has to do with sexuality—and how the landscape sends messages about feminine and masculine behaviors—contributes to negative reactions from students with EBDs. A survey of Wisconsin high school students of both genders asked the question, “How would you feel if today you would wake up the opposite sex?” The results were enlightening. Women responded about the opportunities that would await them. “They thought in terms of opportunity,” he said. They could see themselves as professional basketball players, for example. Men's response? They said they would kill themselves. Palladino replicates this survey on his campus every semester. He sends out two pairs of students to 20 sites to ask the same question. His results are the same. Women perceive the opportunity that comes with being male, while men think the idea is a fate worse than death. Applying this understanding to emotional and behavioral disabilities opens the door to questions about just what characterizes deviant behavior. “Sex and gender cause kids to negotiate what good and bad behavior is,” he said. Those negotiations are heavily influenced—both positively and negatively—by social institutions such as work, family, school, religion, media and peer groups. These institutions also influence students’ perceptions of gender divisions. Students with EBDs internalize their environment, which affects how they act out their behavior. We must reclaim the conversations about gender and sexuality to allow all students to feel accepted and nurtured. Contact: john.palladino@emich.edu or 734.487.7120, ext. 2677.

Perceptions of Gender Differences in the Expression of Emotional and Behavioral Disabilities

Abstract Few resources identify specific needs and interventions for girls with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD). This qualitative analysis asks fifteen teacher and counselor professionals about their perceptions of girls with EBD through semi-structured interviews. Six emergent themes from the analysis are discussed. The results demonstrate that further research is needed in the areas of understanding the hidden nature of girls' issues, girls' minority status in special education, girls' physical behaviors, and girls' unique peer issues. Additionally, issues of the language used to describe girls with EBD and professionals' perceptions of the difficulty of working with troubled girls are considered. ********** In working with teachers and administrators in the field of emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD), the comment is often heard, "I really think girls are somehow more difficult to work with than boys." While not universal, this sentiment is echoed in the writings of Baines and Alder (1999), Chesney-Lind and Okamoto (2000), and internationally in the field of juvenile justice (see Artz, 2005 for a discussion). How does this perception influence teachers' understanding of the needs of girls with EBD? The present exploratory qualitative study of professionals' perceptions of working with girls with EBD provides an in-depth portrait from a 15-person sample. Through examining the perceptions of a small group of teachers and counselors, this study begins to identify teacher education issues and provides suggestions for future interventions studies for girls with EBD. Unique Needs of Girls Many researchers have discussed the unique needs of girls in our society. The American Association of University Women (AAUW) (1992, 1998) has published reports discussing the inherent bias in schools against girls. Published literature from the field of education highlights the learning differences between girls and boys (Gurian & Ballew, 2003) as well as the differing relationships teachers have with each gender (Sadker & Sadker, 1994). In the field of psychology, researchers have investigated: (1) girls' unique developmental needs especially during adolescence (Gilligan, 1993; Orenstein, 1994); (2) social/relational aggression (Crick & Zahn-Waxler; Underwood, 2003); and (3) unique manifestations of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Conduct Disorder, and Mood Disorders (see Bell, Foster, & Mash, 2005 for a discussion). In the field of juvenile justice, researchers cite the need for gender responsive programming as the number of females in the corrections systems grows (Bloom, Owen, Deschenes, & Rosenbaum, 2002). In popular literature, girls in groups are being analyzed for the undetected aggression of "mean" or "queen" girls (Simmons, 2002). Few resources, however, whether conceptual or research based, deal directly with girls and behavior in education or girls identified as having an emotional or behavioral disability. Girls with EBD Research pertaining to special education programming for girls with EBD is considerably rare (Cullinan, Osborne, & Epstein, 2004; Kann & Hanna, 2000; Vardill & Calvert, 2000). Girls with emotional disturbance make up 15% to 25% of all identified children and adolescents with disabilities (Cullinan et al., 2004). Though national data compiled in the Annual Report to Congress on special education is not classified by gender, state data reveals large variation in the numbers of girls identified with emotional and behavioral disorders (Oswald, 2005). Interestingly, the rate of identification for girls begins to increase during adolescence and reflects that of boys during adolescence (Callahan, 1994; Oswald, Best, Coutinho, & Nagle, 2003). A myriad of factors contribute to the underidentification of girls for EBD services. Kann and Hanna (2000) posit that the existing processes and tools used in schools to identify girls with EBD may not accurately detect girls' internalizing expressions of disabilities. …

Naturalistic Study of the Behavior of Students With EBD Referred for Functional Behavioral Assessment

A descriptive study of 22 students (K—10th grade) with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD) who were referred for functional behavioral assessment (FBA) revealed less on-task and more avoidant and inappropriate behaviors in comparison to classroom peers without EBD. Students who had been diagnosed as having attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and were taking psychotropic medications had higher levels of inappropriate behavior. However, sequential analysis showed that individual variation in teacher and peer attention as consequent events best predicted students' inappropriate behavior. These findings indicate that individual differences in the consequent events that purportedly maintain problem behavior are unique to the student, as proponents of FBA have suggested.

Restructuring Schools Through the Wraparound Approach

Summary The La Grange Area Department of Special Education's (LADSE) Wraparound Project (WRAP) is a five year school-based systems change initiative for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD) and their families. WRAP is focused on improving outcomes for these students and their families by converting the existing categorical special education and mental health services into a more integrated and flexible system (Eber, 1993). This systems change initiative culminated in the restructuring of special education programs into the LADSE EBD Network beginning with the 1994-95 school year. This network embodies the wraparound approach and integrates mental health, education and other family-focused services in a comprehensive school-based model. This article describes the progressive development of wraparound pilots and projects and the resulting restructured education service network which has been developed in the LADSE community. Evaluation data, which has been used to shape decision-making throughout the development of the LADSE EBD Network, is discussed in the context of the systems change process. Implications for the field are also considered.