Naomi Poquette, Brita Larson, Erin Levenhagen
Emotional Behavioral Disability Summary Sheet
Federal Definition:
Emotional Behavioral Disability means 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.
The term includes schizophrenia. The term does not apply to children who are socially
maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance.”
DPI Criteria:
1. The student exhibits social, emotional, behavioral functioning that so departs from
generally accepted age appropriate, ethnic or cultural norms that it adversely affects the
child in at least one (1) of the following areas…
-Academic progress Classroom adjustment
-Social relationships
-Self care
-Personal adjustment Vocational skills
2.
Behaviors are severe, chronic, and frequent.
3.
Behaviors occur at school and at least one (1) other setting…
-Home
-Community
4.
The student displays any of the following…
-Inability to develop or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships
-Inappropriate affective or behavioral response to a normal situation
-Pervasive unhappiness, depression or anxiety
Naomi Poquette, Brita Larson, Erin Levenhagen
-Physical symptoms, pains or fears associated with personal or school problems
-Inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory or health factors
-Extreme withdrawal from social interaction
-Extreme aggressiveness for long periods of time
-Other inappropriate behaviors that are so different from children of similar age, ability,
educational experiences and opportunities that the child or other children in a regular or
special education program are negatively affected
Prevalence:
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The prevalence of EBD in Wisconsin is 1.6%.
It is the 4th largest disability category under the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act.
Far more males than females are diagnosed. This could be due to the observance of
behaviors seen to be more disturbing in boys compared to the same behavior in girls.
Characteristics:
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Disrupts classroom activities
Preoccupied
Does not follow or appear to care about classroom rules
Poor concentration, distractible
Resistance to change and transitions in routines
May demonstrate aggressive behavior
Low self esteem
Difficulty working in groups
Demonstrate self-injurious behavior
Cannot apply social rules related to others personal space and belongings
Often manipulative of situations
Lack of social skills and appropriateness
Trouble establishing and maintaining peer and adult relationships
Low to average intellectual ability
Problematic Classroom Situations:
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high stress environment with lots of noise and movement
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unclear and overwhelming directions given
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unrealistic expectations given that student is unable to meet
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social rejection/ isolation
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pressure of time
forced group work
Naomi Poquette, Brita Larson, Erin Levenhagen
Teacher Accommodations:
-Establish a quiet "cool-off" area.
-Provide and teach opportunities for the student to use self-control/ self-monitoring techniques to
control behavior.
-Teach self-talk to relieve stress and anxiety.
-Supply relaxing times within the class.
-Use highly stimulating material when presenting something to the class.
-Specialized technology
-Develop and use behavior contracts
Above all treat them as a student, not someone who doesn't deserve "normal" learning
environments.
Teaching strategies for these students should be based on changing the behavior itself. The
system is often centered on discouraging the unwanted behavior and rewarding/encouraging the
desired behavior.
1. Specifically identify the behavior which needs to be changed.
2. Create a baseline of the observed behavior.
3. Closely examine the information in the baseline and evaluate what has been observed and
documented
4. Develop short and long term goals for the student. In the plan create a reward system to
be used. Such as: give student a check mark for every 15 minutes behavior is appropriate.
When the student receives 8 checks they may have 10 minutes of computer time.
5. Reevaluate the plan for effectiveness. Has the behavior reduced occurrence in a variety of
settings?
6. Make modifications in the behavior plan to reinforce the desired outcome.
A behavior modification chart is a widely accepted tool to help a child visually understand
the key behavior expectations and track their progress.
Useful Resources:
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. Jennio. School Psychology.
http://school-psychology.org/emotional-and-behavioral-disorders
This article provides a brief overview of Emotional/ behavioral disorders. It covers the
definition, prevalence, intervention methods, and characteristics of Emotional/ Behavioral
disorders. It would be a great place to start for those that are not very familiar with EBD.
Culotta, V., Davis, M., Levine, E., & Rice, E. (2010) School Success for Kids with Emotional
and Behavioral Disorders.
Naomi Poquette, Brita Larson, Erin Levenhagen
School Success for Kids with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders gives possible
strategies for parents and teachers of children with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. It
discusses strategies to help children monitor and control their emotional outbursts, overcome the
obstacles that EBD presents, and be successful in school.
Falk, K. B., Lane, K. L., & Wehby, J. H. (2003). Journal of Emotional and Behavioral
Disorders. Academic Instruction for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, Volume
11, No. 4. Retrieved from
http://crins08lerberg.wmwikis.net/file/view/Wehby+et+al.pdf/49739543/Wehby%20et%20al.pdf
This article focuses on Emotional/ Behavioral Disorders and academics. Specifically,
why there has been limited focus on on the academic needs of EBD students in the classroom.