The document discusses emotional disturbance as defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It explores the characteristics, prevalence, and types of emotional disturbances such as anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, conduct disorder, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and psychotic disorders. It notes that over 354,000 students received special education services for emotional disturbance in 2013-2014. Best practices for students with emotional disturbances include strategies such as praise, choice, academic support to reduce behaviors, trusting relationships between students and teachers, and avoiding assumptions about families.

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Issues and Concerns Relevant to Emotional Disturbance
Fernando Stevenson
American College of Education

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Abstract
This research paper will explore the emotional disturbance category of disability under
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The sources used will offer many
similarities and some differences of opinion on the subject. This research paper will
allow the reader to learn about the characteristics, prevalence, learning preferences and
styles, the recommended instructional and behavioral strategies, accommodations,
modifications, and interventions relating to emotional disturbance. Emotional
disturbance is something that I find interesting because of the various levels that are
involved. In our society, I believe emotional disturbance to be greatly responsible for
some of the crime and drug addiction that has ruined this country. In my own family,
emotional stability has caused some long-term addiction, grief, and overall
unhappiness.

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Issues and Concerns Relevant to Emotional Disturbance
Many students struggle for various reasons in school. In a society that is plagued
with school-placed violence, bullying, crime, racism, political difference, poverty, and
many other issues, students often find themselves struggling to receive a proper
education. As a parent, I often wonder if my kids are emotionally sound enough to
compete with the everyday stressors of student life. Many terms are used to describe
emotional disturbances.
I have seen students that have exhibited emotional disturbances at my high
school. There are various levels of discipline for those students. Depending on the
teacher, rather the act, a student may be sent to in-school suspension, given a written
referral, a verbal referral, or a return to school with a parent request. We are all human.
I rarely sent students out of class. I meet students where they are and go from there. I
say this because each student is unique. There is no one size fits all as it relates to
students. Emotional disturbance is a serious issue in our everyday condition.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines emotional
disturbance as: 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

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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. (Dec.2017).
Students are emotionally disturbed. Aren’t we all? At any given time, in any given
school, students are faced with the task of just making it through the day. This comes in
various forms for students. Some have to pass a major test. Others have to jockey for
attention from their favorite friend of the opposite sex. Some are their just to have fun.
Unfortunately, some are there for a good meal.
According the National Dissemination for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY) (Dec.
2017), there are six types of emotional disturbances: anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder,
conduct disorder, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and
psychotic disorders. However, they note that this list isn’t all-inclusive.
Students can exhibit all of the behaviors or feelings throughout the day. I say this
because anxiety of being in school or in class. Bipolar disorder can be displayed shortly
after a break-up with a significant other that attends the school. Acting out in the
classroom or in the hallways can be prevalent as well which may lead to conduct
disorders. Eating disorders can develop because of those same significant others.
Sometimes student eat less to please and some eat more as a result of sadness. OCD
sometimes takes place when students have developed routines at school. This can be
something as simple as sitting at a certain table in the cafeteria. And finally, psychotic
disorders in school can take place because you feel that someone is out to get you.

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This is common in schools where there is a lot of fighting. I say this because I have
witnessed students being jumped before. The jumpers often thought that there would be
some sort of retaliation depending on the person who was jumped. Emotional
disturbance is way more prevalent than many may believe. I say this because
depending on the environment, emotional disturbance may be the norm.
Some of the other characteristics and behaviors seen in children who have an
emotional disturbance include: short attention spans, withdrawal, immaturity, and
learning difficulties. I have seen short attention spans in younger kids and thought that it
was just a part of being a young kid or toddler. I couldn’t understand the same things on
the high school level. For instance, you meet students that act out or think they are
Chris Rock daily. I never thought that their disturbance in class was covering up an
emotional disturbance they had inside.
IDEA requires that special education and related services be made available free of
charge to every eligible child with a disability, including preschoolers (ages 3-21). These
services are specially designed to address the child’s individual needs associated with
the disability—in this case, emotional disturbance, as defined by IDEA (and further
specified by states). In the 2013-2014 school year, more than 354,000 children and
youth with emotional disturbance received these services to address their individual
needs related to emotional disturbance. (NCES 2016-014).
I found this number to be incredible. I had no idea how prevalent special education and
related services were made available to this many students. I was under the assumption
that special education only pertained to a small number since that’s what I witnessed
growing up. There are many strategies in place to service the special education
population of students.

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I have seen learning centers. This takes place when a classroom is set up in “stations”
that require each assigned group of students to visit hourly. Students are assigned by
the teacher. The teacher strategically places a special education student with general
education students that are willing to assist in a non-judgmental fashion. As an
educator, I have modified tests and quizzes for my special education students. For
instance, the general education students may have a twenty question quiz due at the
end of the hour. I will give that same quiz to the special education student to be
completed and turned in by the end of class the following day. Their tests usually have
fewer items with reading comprehension level questioning. For my students with
physical handicaps, I allow them to sit at tables in the classroom. I also allow them to
leave a few minutes early in order to beat the rush of students in the hallways during
dismissal. Inclusion teachers have played a big role in my classrooms in the past. I say
this because they were trained to assist those students when I was unable to due to the
sheer size of the classroom. Many of my classes have thirty or more students. So, the
additional support was fantastic!
Generally, academic achievement and problem behaviors often go hand-in-hand for
students with emotional disorders. In other words, the more difficulty they have with a
classroom task, the more likely that maladaptive behavior will result. Supporting the
academic performance of these students will thus have the added benefit of decreasing
externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Best practices for students with emotional
disorders are often best practices for all students. A strategy such as allowing students
to choose between classroom tasks, for example, is an effective way to decrease
problem behaviors in general. Consistent and specific praise is also a great technique to

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utilize with all students in the classroom, but can be particularly effective with students
with emotional disorders. Hunt, N., and Marshall, K. (2006).
It is very important to not make assumptions about any family of a child with an
emotional disorder. Many emotional disorders have an organic cause, and the parents
of the child may well be loving and supportive in every way. However, some of these
students have indeed been abused in some fashion in their young lives, and this too
can be a cause of emotional or behavioral issues. Trust can be a very large issue for
these children. Forming relationships with these students that are built on empathy,
trust, and mutual respect can often be the solution to many problem behaviors, and can
have a lasting impact of the emotional development of the child. Hunt, N., and Marshall,
K. (2006).
In summary, emotional disturbance affects all of us in one way or another. Students are
affected at home, at school, at work, and other places. There are support systems in
place for students suffering from emotional disturbance. However, there are far too few
people who take the time to help or are oblivious to the exceptionality do to it being the
norm in that particular environment. I vow to be an advocate!

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References
1 | National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (2010). Child and adolescent mental
health. Bethesda, MD: Author. Available online
at: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/child-and-adolescent-mental-
health/index.shtml
2 | Code of Federal Regulations, Title 34, §300.8(c)(4)(i)
3 | Code of Federal Regulations, Title 34, §300.8(c)(4)(ii)
4 | National Alliance on Mental Illness/Southern Arizona. (n.d.). What is mental illness:
Mental illness facts. Available online at: http://www.namisa.org/what-is-mental-illness–
types-of-mental-disorders.html
5 | Ibid.
6 | Child Mind Institute. (2015). Children’s mental health report. New York: Author.
Online
at: https://childmind.org/downloads/2015%20Childrens%20Mental%20Health%20Repor
t.pdf
7 | Ibid.
8 | U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.
(2016). Digest of Education Statistics, 2015(NCES 2016-014). Washington, DC: Author.
Online at: https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=64
9 | NIMH. (2016, March). Anxiety disorders. Bethesda, MD: Author. Available online
at: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml

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10 | Anxiety Disorders Association of America. (2017, August). Facts and stats. Silver
Spring, MD: Author. Available online at: https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-
statistics
11 | Ibid.
12 | NIMH. (2016, April). Bipolar disorder. Bethesda, MD: Author. Available online
at: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml
13 | Ibid.
14 | American Academy of Adolescent and Child Psychiatry. (2013, August). Conduct
disorder: Facts for families. Washington, DC: Author. Available online at:
http://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/Facts_for_Famili
es_Pages/Conduct_Disorder_33.aspx
15 | Ibid.
16 | Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Library. (n.d.). Conduct disorder in children.
Baltimore, MD: Author. Online at:
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/mental_health_disorders/cond
uct_disorder_90,P02560
17 | NIMH. (2014). Eating disorders: About more than food. Bethesda, MD: Author.
Available online at: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/eating-
disorders/index.shtml
18 | National Eating Disorders Association. (n.d.). By eating disorder. New York:
Author. Available online at: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-
disorder

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19 | National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2016,
June). Binge eating disorder. Available online at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-
information/weight-management/binge-eating-disorder
20 | National Eating Disorders Association. (n.d.). Treatment. Available online
at: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/general-information/treatment
21 | NIMH. (2016, January). Obsessive-compulsive disorder. Bethesda, MD: Author.
Available online at: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/obsessive-compulsive-
disorder-ocd/index.shtml
22 | International OCD Foundation. (n.d.). What causes OCD? Boston, MA: Author.
Online at: https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/what-causes-ocd/
23 | International OCD Foundation. (n.d.). How is OCD treated? Available online
at: https://kids.iocdf.org/what-is-ocd/how-is-ocd-treated/
24 | Medline Plus. (n.d.). Psychotic disorders. Available online
at: https://medlineplus.gov/psychoticdisorders.html
25 | MedicineNet.com. (n.d.). Psychotic disorders. Available online
at: https://www.medicinenet.com/psychotic_disorders/article.htm
26 Hunt, N., and Marshall, K. (2006). Exceptional children and youth. Boston, MA:
Houghton Mifflin Company.
27 National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (2004). Fact Sheet
5. Retrieved February 1, 2008 from www.nichcy.org/pubs/factshe/fs5txt.htm.

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28Turnbull, A., Turnbull, R. & Wehmeyer, M. L. (2007). Exceptional lives. Special
education in today's schools. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.

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