Which of the following is not a defining characteristic of an emotional or behavioral disorder?

Navigation

• • Emotional and Behavioral Disorder (EBD)

    Inhaltsverzeichnis Show

    • Emotional and Behavioral Disorder (EBD)
    • Which behavior is most likely to indicate that an adolescent has an emotional or behavioral disorder?
    • Which of the following is not a characteristic of students with developmental disabilities?
    • Which of the following is a criterion that must be met for a disorder to be considered an emotional disturbance?
    • Which statement most accurately describes the academic achievement of children with emotional and behavioral disorders?

Emotional and Behavioral Disorder (EBD)

How are emotional and behavior disorders defined?

• As defined by IDEA 2004, "The term emotional disturbance 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 student's educational performance:
• (A) An inability to learn which 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 person or school problems. 
• The term includes children who are schizophrenic. The term does not include students who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance."

• "The term "emotional or behavioral disorder" means a disability that is: characterized by behavioral or emotional responses in school programs so difference from appropriate age, cultural, or ethnic norms that the responses adversely affect educational performance, including academic, social, vocational, or professional skills; more than a temporary, expected response to stressful events in the environment; consistently exhibited in two different settings, at least one of which is school-related; and unresponsive to direct intervention applied in general education, or the condition of a child is such that general education interventions would be insufficient.

What are the characteristics of students with emotional and behavior disorders?

• Externalizing Behaviors
• The three most common external behaviors seen from students with an EBD are extreme aggression, rule breaking, and noncompliance
• These behaviors are easily identified because of their sometimes violet nature and are often considered rude in all circumstances.

• Internalizing Behaviors
• The three most common internal behaviors are social withdrawal, anxiety disorders, and depression.
• These can be identified easily but can also be hidden from those around the student. Often these internal behaviors manifest into the visible external behaviors that we identify in students with an EBD.

• Social Withdrawal
• Students who are withdrawn share three common traits
• They spend an excessive amount of time in solitary play
• Infrequent positive social interactions with peers
• Low rates of verbalization
• They also often exhibit signs of anxiety
• Anxiety comes in various types such as general anxiety, separation anxiety, social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or post-traumatic stress.  
• They can create a hinderance on a child's ability to focus and comprehend in a learning environment
• Depression is another trait of social withdrawal
• Although all people go through periods of depression in their life, these are more pronounced for students with an EBD.

• Other Behaviors
• It is not uncommon for student with an EBD to also show signs of ADHD. They are likely to exhibit attention deficits in the learning environment
• It is also common for them to show signs of problems with social skills. Due to the nature of the EBD, student are withdrawn socially and don't enjoy interacting with peers. This causes a development delay in social skills.

• Cognitive and Learning Characteristics
• The above characteristics not only create challenges for the student in their life and social interactions, but in the education environment too. The common behavior exhibited by students with EBD conflict with the behaviors associated with learning. 

How many students are identified with learning disabilities, and what causal factors are associated with the disability?

• Students with an EBD account for less than 1% of the student population. In terms of numbers, there are approximately 458,000 students with an EBD and those represent 7.6% of all students with a disability.
• Causes
• There is no one single event that leads to the creation of all of the above characteristics. Therefore it is challenging to pinpoint any one cause for a child developing an EBD. The following are a list of possible factors that contribute to an emotional or behavior disorder.
• Biophysical Influences
• There is research that shows that a brain injury or brain abnormalities alters the functions of specific parts of the brain that control things like depression, anxiety, and aggression. 
• Psychodynamic Influences
• Some children with EBD show signs of an underdeveloped or deficient internal structure making them unable to control their impulses. This can be a large factor in the extreme escalation of aggression seen from students with EBD.
• Familial and Home Influences
• Although family and home structures aren't a direct cause, they can facilitate the progression of a emotional and behavior disorder. Single parent households and adoptive households don't always provide enough structure for children who show signs of a developing EBD. 
• Societal/Environmental Influences and School Influences
• There is some speculation that society and schools can contribute to the manifestation of an EBD. This is because our society in some aspects encouraged violence and violent, disruptive behaviors. Overcrowding in both society and in schools can manifest as anxiety, depression, and aggression, which make up three of the main characteristics of an EBD. 

How are students with emotional and behavior disorders identified?

• Identification
• The identification process begins with the screening of a student. This is often done by the teacher who spends the majority of time with the student. They document observed behaviors and incidents that happen within the learning environment. 
• If an identified student goes through the screening process, they are then subjected to a more rigorous evaluation procedure. These evaluations assess both behavior and personality

• Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA)
• Once a EBD has been identified, the most important second step is to determine what instructional and behavioral planning is necessary to help the student be successful in their education. This is done through the development of a FBA.
• FBA identifies target behaviors and determine strategies to correct and implement positive behaviors. They are a supplement to the Individual Education Plan associated with Special Education services.

What educational practices improve academic, social, early childhood and transition outcomes for students with EBD?

• Service Delivery
• Students with an EBD are educated in a restrictive educational setting more than any other disability. This is because they often need individualized education, implemented on a one-on-one basis. 
• Although social interaction is necessary for students to develop adequate social skills, it is important that students be able to interact in a positive manner. It is necessary to ensure the safety of all students in a classroom. Therefore some students with a severe EBD need time to develop social skills in a more isolated educational environment.
• Early Intervention
• The early an EBD can be identified, the better. It is almost unanimously agreed upon that intervention at the early stages of an EBD can make a significant difference in the education of the student. Research shows that characteristics of EBD only escalate with time and become more and more challenging to work with. Therefore, if interventions can occur at an early age, parents and educators together might be able to counter EBD characteristics to help the student cope with the disorder.
• Academic and Social/Behavioral Interventions
• Too often, educators don't focus on the academic characteristics of an EBD. This is due to the nature of the characteristics and how they present themselves in most scenarios. Interventions and FBAs should focus not only on behavior intervention but academic as well. It is not only a goal to help the student be successful socially, but academically as well.
• It is important to focus on self-control with students with EBD and to try to develop self-regulatory skills so that students can monitor their own behavior and try to keep emotions in check. This can also help student to recognize signs or triggers in their life to help minimize outbursts and disruptions.

Additional Modification and Accommodations that can be applied to the Teaching Environment:

• Altering Antecedents:
• Sometimes you can minimize challenges for a student with an EBD by altering the way you deliver directions through altering the antecedents. This can be done through precision requests and behavior momentum.
• "Precision requests involve delivering directives in a format that (a) is predictable for students, (b) incorporates consequences (reinforcement for compliance and punishment for noncompliance), and (c) provides opportunity for the child to comply (wait time."
• "Behavior Momentum involves the teacher delivering a set of high-probability directives (i.e. those that student are likely to engage in or comply with) befroe delivering the low-probabilty directive." (Landrum, Tankersley, & Kauffman, 2003)

• Altering Consequences
• It is important to understand that there are four types of punishment:
• those that rely on reinforcement strategies
• extinction
• removable of desirable stimuli
• presentation of aversive stimuli
• Because no case of EBD is the same, it is important to understand which punishments lead to what results with students with EBD. Knowing this will allow a teacher to design consequences to benefit the overall progress of a student.

Additional Resources

• National Association of Special Education Teachers: EBD
  
• Pacer Center's Page on EBD
  

References:

• Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 (2004).
• Landrum, T. J., Tankersley, M., & Kauffman, J. M. (2003). What is special about special education for students with emotional or behavioral disorders?. The Journal of Special Education, 37(3), 148-156.
• Rosenberg, M., Westling, D., & McLeskey, J. (2011). Special Education for Today's Teachers: An Introduction (2nd ed). Prentice Hall