Emotional & Behavioral Disorders

In the field of special education, the term emotional and behavioral disorders is generally used and is preferred to emotional disturbances. IDEA uses this term to refer to a condition that is accompanied by one or more of the following characteristics over a long time and to a marked degree and that adversely affects a child’s educational performance.

• An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors

• An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers

• Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances

• A general, pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression

• A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems

Externalizing behaviors are persistently disruptive or annoying behaviors that are directed outwardly, or aggressive or acting-out and noncompliant behaviors, and bullying. They are often associated with conduct and oppositional defiant disorders. Bullying can consist of verbal abuse, calling a student by a stigmatizing name, social abuse, involving hurting someone’s feelings or spreading rumors that cause embarrassment, cyber-abuse or physical abuse including sexual abuse.

Internalizing behaviors however are emotions such as withdrawal, depression, anxiety, and fearfulness. It’s hard to see these behaviors because they are not as disruptive in the classroom as the externalizing behaviors.

Some causes of emotional or behavioral disorders are:

• Maternal depression

• Parent’s partner violence

• Parents who are involved in more hostile behavior (getting into arguments, hitting or injuring)

• Prejudice

• Poverty

• Single-parent households

• Unemployed households

• Genetics

• OCD - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

• Manic

• Bipolar Disorder

• Schizophrenia

• Dr. Phil

• Nutritional Counseling

• Medications

• Visual Cue Instructions