bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distinguishing Characteristics of Elementary Schoolboys Recommended for SED Placement
Authors: Mattison Richard E. , Morales Jeanette , Bauer Marc A.
Published: March 2018

As a total group, 170 boys aged 6 to 11 years who were referred for SED consideration were characterized by limited mental health and educational intervention, noteworthy family stressors, and externalizing DSM-III psychiatric disorders, especially attention deficit disorder. The 100 boys recommended for SED placement were especially distinguished by multiple family stressors, serious dysfunction according to clinician ratings, and complex diagnostic pictures. The findings lend support to current revision of Public Law 94–142 SED criteria, as well as suggest directions for the prevention and treatment of SED students.
Identified Deficits and Their Congruence to the IEP for Behaviorally Disordered Students
Authors: Reiher Todd C.
Published: March 2018

Questionnaires were sent to the support personnel and teachers of a randomly selected, statewide sample of 632 behaviorally disordered students to examine the nature of the behavioral, social/emotional, academic, and other deficits contained in the diagnostic report(s) and to determine the congruence of this diagnostic information to the students' individualized education programs (IEPs). Respondents returned 463 instruments for an overall return rate of 73.3%. Congruence percentages were calculated bidirectionally so that lack of agreement between diagnostic information and the IEP was examined from the perspective of both the evaluator/diagnostician and the IEP writers. The identified deficits indicated that the primary concern for mild behaviorally disordered students was a failure to complete assignments or stay on-task, while moderate and severe behaviorally disordered students demonstrated a substantial shift to peer relationships as the primary area of concern. Concurrent core academic deficits were often not present. Congruence calculation indicated a moderate lack of agreement between areas of deficit and IEP goals and objectives, especially with respect to social/emotional areas. Questions regarding the nature of mild behavioral disorders classification are proposed and reaffirmation of the lack of a diagnostic-instructional link demonstrated.
Relationship of Behavioral Characteristics to Educational Needs
Authors: Sinclair Esther , Alexson Joyce
Published: March 2018

The present study focused on children referred to a psychiatric outpatient facility from the regular classroom for evaluation of behavioral and school-learning problems. Behavioral problems noted during the initial evaluation for each child were coded according to a master list of over 60 behavioral characteristics grouped into seven broad categories: conduct disorders, emotional disorders, social relationship disorders, attentional disorders, hyperactivity, language disorders, and developmental delays/physical disorders. Then classroom placement recommendations were made by a school interdisciplinary team and categorized according to four classroom integration options ranging from total integration to integration for less than 1–2 hours daily. Results indicate general trends in the relationship between placement option(s) and the incidence and severity of presenting behavioral profiles. The meaning of these results is discussed in relation to research that emphasizes the lack of concordance between clinical, psychoeducational test profiles, psychiatric classification schemes, and classroom placement recommendations for special education students.
Classics in the Field of Behavioral Disorders
Authors: Enright Brian , White Richard , Haney Kay F. , Heller H. William , Spooner Fred
Published: March 2018

Co-editors, Associate Editors, and Cohort Review Team members for Teaching Exceptional Children were asked to nominate qualified individuals to identify seminal articles in the area of behavioral disorders. The nominees identified in this first phase of the study recommended the top 19 classic contributions in behavioral disorders. In the second phase of the study, a self-identified panel of 172 persons in the area of behavioral disorders rank ordered these 19 classic works. Results are discussed in relation to another study that examined seminal contributions in the broader area of special education and in relation to the history of behavioral disorders.
A Structured Instructional System for Developing the School Survival Skills of Adolescents with Behavioral Disorders
Authors: Foley Regina M. , Epstein Michael H.
Published: March 2018

School survival skills are behaviors which enhance the likelihood of academic success. In general, academically successful students have a greater knowledge of school survival skills and actively apply these skills in classroom settings. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a multicomponent instructional system, known as a modified version of the School Survival Skills Curriculum, in developing and improving the school survival skills of students with behavioral disorders. Using a pretest-posttest group design, the experimental group demonstrated significant improvement in their overall use of school survival skills as measured by the School Survival Skills Scale. However, no significant differences were shown for students' grade point averages. Implications for practice are discussed.
The Effects of Peer Tutoring and Self-Management Training on On-Task, Academic, and Disruptive Behaviors
Authors: Hogan Sandra , Prater Mary Anne
Published: March 2018

The effects of peer tutoring and self-management on on-task behavior and academic performance (tutee) as well as disruptive behaviors (tutor) were examined. The tutor had been identified as behaviorally disordered and the tutee as learning disabled. During the peer tutoring condition the tutee improved his on-task and academic performance but the tutor's disruptive behavior did not change. Self-management was initiated for both subjects. During self-monitoring the tutee's on-task behavior improved above that during peer tutoring. The tutor self-monitored his disruptive behavior but only slight improvements were observed. A self-instructional component was then added and the disruptive behavior was eliminated. For both subjects, a multiple baseline across-settings design was applied and results were observed across resource and general education English and mathematics classes.
Behaviorally Disordered Youth in Correctional Settings: Prevalence, Programing, and Teacher Training
Authors: Mcintyre Thomas
Published: March 2018

Youth with behavioral disorders are prominent in correctional settings. Due to a number of circumstances, their educational needs are not being adequately addressed. This article discusses issues regarding programing for these students and the training of teachers who work with them.
The Effects of Self-Monitoring of Academic Accuracy and Productivity on the Performance of Students with Behavioral Disorders
Authors: Carr Sonya C. , Punzo Rebecca P.
Published: March 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a self-monitoring of academic accuracy and productivity procedure on the academic performance and on-task behavior of three male students classified as behaviorally disordered/emotionally disturbed. Students were taught to self-monitor in each of three successive academic areas: reading, mathematics, and spelling. A multiple baseline design was used to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. Students made gains in academic accuracy, productivity, and on-task behavior and improvements were observed across all subject areas. The results of this study indicate that the self-monitoring procedure can be used effectively in special education classes for students with behavioral disorders to enhance academic performance and to support on-task behavior.
The Effects of Cross-Age Tutoring on the Academic Achievement, Social Behaviors, and Self-Perceptions of Low-Achieving African-American Males with Behavioral Disorders
Authors: Cochran Lessie , Feng Hua , Cartledge Gwendolyn , Hamilton Sheri
Published: March 2018

Four low-achieving fifth-grade African-American males with behavioral disorders tutored sight words to four low-achieving second-grade African-American males with behavioral disorders. Four fifth-grade and four second-grade African-American males with behavioral disorders who did not participate in the tutoring program served as comparisons for the tutors and tutees. The effects of the tutoring program on social behaviors was assessed through direct observations and pre/post ratings by classroom teachers. Similarly, self-ratings of social competence were obtained on all students. Percentage increases in sight words were greater for all tutors and tutees compared to those of their nontutoring peers. Positive social interactions were observed during tutoring and teacher ratings were more favorable for tutoring students. The intervention appeared to have no effect on self-perceptions of social skills. The results of this study validate the ability of low-achieving African-American males with behavioral disorders to serve as tutors and the beneficial effects for both tutees and tutors.
Level System Use in Special Education: Classroom Intervention with Prima Facie Appeal
Authors: Smith Stephen W. , Farrell Daniel T.
Published: March 2018

Abundant descriptive literature exists regarding the use of level systems in classrooms for students with significant behavior problems. Despite this abundance, only prima facie evidence as to its efficiency and power to significantly change behavior has been offered. That is, little empirical data have been available to guide the design, development, and implementation of level systems. This article presents a chronicle of the development of level systems and examines assumptions underlying their concepts and components. The discussion leads to a set of recommendations to help guide future research into the design and implementation of level systems.
Effects of Cognitive-Behavioral Training on Angry Behavior and Aggression of Three Elementary-Aged Students
Authors: Smith Stephen W. , Siegel Edye M. , O'connor Alissa M. , Thomas Suzanne B.
Published: March 2018

Inappropriate social behaviors of elementary-aged students may negatively affect their opportunity to be successful in school and contribute to adjustment problems as adolescents and adults. Specifically, anger and aggression in children have accounted for a high number of children being referred to special education programs. A multiple baseline design was used across students to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral training in reducing angry behavior and aggression of three elementary-aged special education students placed in a multi-categorical resource room. Results indicated that the students were able to learn the strategy and that the intervention produced a decreased level of undesired behavior. Maintenance data demonstrated that all three students were able to maintain decreased levels of anger and aggression over time. Recommendations are made for future studies.
Preschool Children with Behavioral Problems: Observation in Instructional and Free Play Contexts
Authors: Del'homme Melissa Ann , Sinclair Esther , Kasari Connie
Published: March 2018

Task-related and social behaviors of teacher-identified preschool children at risk for behavior problems were examined in two school settings, a structured instructional context and an unstructured free play context. Participating as study subjects were 42 preschoolers from low-income, minority families attending local Head Start programs, 21 from a teacher-identified problem behavior group and 21 from a nonidentified comparison group. The problem behavior group was composed of approximately equal numbers of children at risk for externalizing and internalizing behavioral problems. Results demonstrated that on-task behavior was significantly higher in the instructional context in the free play context, and group differences in on-task, aggressive, and prosocial behavior depended on context.
Academic Performance, Social Competence, and Mainstream Accommodations: A Look at Mainstreamed and Nonmainstreamed Students with Serious Behavioral Disorders
Authors: Meadows Nancy B. , Neel Richard S. , Scott Catherine M. , Parker Gerilyn
Published: March 2018

This study examined (a) the academic performance and social competence of mainstreamed and nonmainstreamed students with serious behavioral disorders, and (b) the accommodations made in general education classroom environments for mainstreamed students with behavioral disorders. Overall, the mainstreamed students had higher reading and written language scores, better work habits, and a higher grade point average. Their teachers reported that they were more attentive, worked harder, and were better adjusted. Students who remained in self-contained classrooms demonstrated more extremes in social behavior. Nonmainstreamed students with serious behavioral disorders were more aggressive and unable to demonstrate self-control, or they were introverted and withdrawn. With regard to the general education classroom environment, the majority of teachers used the same curricula with all students and used the same criteria to evaluate all students. Teachers participating in this study made minimal modifications for students with serious behavioral disorders. Placement in general education settings represented a major reduction, if not complete cessation, of differential programing.
Full Inclusion and the Education of Children and Youth with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Authors: Lewis Timothy J. , Chard David , Scott Terrance M.
Published: March 2018

The recent professional literature has been replete with articles focusing on the school reform movement labeled full inclusion whereby advocates are pushing for the placement of all students with disabilities in general education settings. While the movement's roots can be traced to advocates of persons with severe handicaps, educators, administrators, and parents are generalizing the movement's goals to students with other disabilities including emotional and behavioral disorders. Related issues surrounding the full inclusion movement must be examined prior to wide adaptation for all students with disabilities. The purpose of this article is to explore three relevant issues in determining appropriate placements for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. First, this article examines some of the current objectives of the full inclusion movement in relation to the education of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Second, issues surrounding the placement of students with disabilities are often resolved not in professional literature but in courtrooms; therefore, current court cases focusing on inclusion that impact how special education services are delivered are also summarized. Finally, provided a general education setting is the most appropriate placement, promising practices for educating students with emotional and behavioral disorders to maximize their success are discussed.
Toward a Critical Theory Approach to Lives Considered Emotionally Disturbed
Authors: Kerr Mary Margaret , Danforth Scot
Published: March 2018

Issues of power residing within various special education processes surrounding the lives of children considered emotionally disturbed have not been adequately addressed within our profession. In order to begin a discourse implicating ourselves in processes of hegemony and domination within educational practice and research, I propose a critical theory approach to understanding and representing lives considered disturbed. From this strand of socio-political theory, we may begin to hear and tell critical stories; specific, biographic narratives which value the child's personal knowledge and negate the dominant accounts in our field.
Parental Perspectives on Comprehensive Services for Children and Youth with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Authors: Soderlund Jennifer , Epstein Michael H. , Quinn Kevin P. , Cumblad Carla , Petersen Sonya
Published: March 2018

Concern about the educational, legal, and psychological/social problems experienced by children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) has led to the development of new approaches to serving these youngsters and their families. One new approach includes the evolution of a comprehensive, community-based system of care. This study solicited parent participation in a county-wide needs assessment designed to create the foundation for the development of a comprehensive system of care. Parents (N = 121) were surveyed to obtain their perceptions of their contacts with various service agencies as well as to gather their input into how comprehensive services could best be designed and implemented. Overall, parents viewed the services their family had received as favorable. However, their needs and concerns focused on obtaining information about community services, finding recreational activities for parents and children, and locating transition programs and alternative schooling for their children. The information presented will prove helpful for policy makers, agency administrators, and school personnel developing systems of care to more effectively address the needs of children with EBD and their families.
Facilitated Communication for Children with Autism: An Examination of Face Validity
Authors: Braman Beverly J. , Brady Michael P. , Linehan Sharon Lynch , Williams Robert E.
Published: March 2018

Although there has been ample controversy about the need for validation studies of facilitated communication (FC), FC proponents have outlined minimum guidelines for increasing the naturalistic manner in which FC is examined. In this investigation, the face validity of FC was examined with attention to these guidelines. Three children with autism who used FC to communicate participated in the study. Sentence completion statements in which the correct responses were alternately known or unknown to the facilitator were presented using a variation of a multiple-treatment design. Special consideration was given to previous criticisms of controlled investigations of FC in the development of the method. A total of 240 responses were evaluated in relation to form accuracy (spelling) and content accuracy (correct or incorrect answer) using a 10-point rating scale. The data from this study strongly suggest that the content of the responses was influenced systematically by facilitators.
Cooperative Learning Groups in Reading: An Integration Strategy for Students with Autism and General Classroom Peers
Authors: Kamps Debra M. , Leonard Betsy , Potucek Jessica , Garrison-Harrell Linda
Published: March 2018

A reversal design in two classrooms was used to examine the effects of Cooperative Learning Croups (CLCs) for three students with autism and their general education peers. Pretreatment reading instruction consisted of whole language, teacher-led activities including teacher-student discussion of vocabulary, story concepts, main ideas, and story-mapping with reading aloud by individual students. Intervention conditions consisted of continued teacher-led instruction plus supplemental CLCs including three activities: (a) peer tutoring on vocabulary words, (b) comprehension questions, and (c) academic games. Results demonstrated increased reading gains, academic engagement, and peer interaction during the supplemental CLG conditions. Results also provided documentation of the peer-mediated strategy as a viable instructional arrangement for the integration of students with autism in general education settings.
Social Interaction Research for People with Autism as a Set of Past, Current, and Emerging Propositions
Authors: Kennedy Craig H. , Shukla Smita
Published: March 2018

Social relationships are as important to people with autism as they are to any other member of society. However, a primary behavioral characteristic used to define the syndrome of autism is a paucity of social interaction. Such an observation about disordered behavior is really a proposition about a situation in need of remedy. A proposition is simply a statement about a problem to be solved, and the social interaction literature can be viewed as a concatenation of propositions. One of the first propositions tendered regarding autism was how to increase precursors to social interaction. The solution to that problem was to task analyze precursor behaviors and systematically structure their occurrence. Because of the success of these efforts, other previously untenable aspects of social interaction were targeted for analysis. As more and more social behaviors were proposed for analysis and studied, the notion of social skills emerged as a guiding theme. The concept of social skills itself occasioned an expansion of researchers’ propositions regarding what was relevant to social interaction. The answers to those questions have made the study of social interaction far more complex than was conceived originally. Emerging propositions in researchers’ work include questions about the nature of social competence, the development of friendships and other social relationships, and the ways in which various aggregates of behavior can assist us in understanding those broader goals. These more recent propositions are historical in context, but prescriptive in our pursuit of enriching the social participation of people with autism. If the past is any predictor of the future, social interaction research for people with autism is entering a period of fertile analysis and application.
Early Detection and Prevention of Emotional or Behavioral Disorders: Developmental Aspects of Systems of Care
Authors: Forness Steven R. , Kavale Kenneth A. , Macmillan Donald L. , Asarnow Joan R. , Duncan Brent B.
Published: March 2018

Although current systems of care for children with emotional or behavioral disorders generally focus on wrap-around services in an interagency or interdisciplinary network, it is not clear that potential for early detection and prevention is fully realized. Problems in early identification in current systems are discussed along with current methods for early screening. Use of early detection and ongoing assessment of response as a basis for more focused intervention is described. Primary and secondary prevention issues also are discussed in relation to this approach.
“Behavioral Earthquakes:” Low Frequency, Salient Behavioral Events that Differentiate Students At-Risk for Behavioral Disorders
Authors: Gresham Frank M. , Macmillan Donald L. , Bocian Kathy
Published: March 2018

Children considered to be at high risk (n = 30), moderate risk (n = 55), and low risk (n = 30) for behavioral disorders were contrasted on cognitive/achievement, social competence, externalizing behavior, and school history variables. Risk status was based on a 33-item checklist known as the Critical Events Index (Walker & Severson, 1990) that is a measure of behavioral pinpoints having high salience and intensity, but relatively low frequency. Multivariate and univariate analyses showed that the three at-risk groups were differentiated primarily on social competence and externalizing behavior measures. Cross-validated stepwise discriminant function analyses contrasting the High Risk and the Low Risk groups using combinations of social competence, externalizing, internalizing, and school history variables correctly identified over 85% of the High Risk group and over 78% of the Low Risk group. Discriminant function analysis based soley on externalizing behaviors created an unacceptable false negative rate for risk status. Findings are discussed within the context of teacher judgments, critical behavioral events as being “vital signs” of childhood psychopathology, and the need for multimethod assessments of critical events.
Is Social Skills Training Effective for Students with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders? Research Issues and Needs
Authors: Mathur Sarup R. , Rutherford Robert B.
Published: March 2018

The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss the factors that may influence the long-term effectiveness of social skills training. Potential impediments to the success of social skills training include: lack of a sound conceptual framework, questionable social validity of target skills, controversies surrounding the nature of social skills deficits, imprecision in assessment procedures, vagueness in description of interventions, inattention to contextual factors, and failure to achieve generalization.
Preparation of Personnel for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: Perspectives on a Research Foundation for Future Practice
Authors: Whelan Richard J. , Simpson Richard L.
Published: March 2018

This article presents a perspective on research-based issues related to preparing teachers and other professionals to work with children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders. The discussion includes an identification of basic personnel preparation questions to be addressed, components of an effective training program, steps for establishing program effectiveness, and suggestions for future teacher education research.
Effects of Choice and Task Preference on the Work Performance of Students with Behavior Problems
Authors: Cole Christine L. , Davenport Teresa A. , Bambara Linda M. , Ager Christina L.
Published: March 2018

This investigation compared the effects of choice and assignment of preferred and nonpreferred tasks on the work performance of three students with moderate intellectual impairments and challenging behavior in a classroom setting. After assessing student task preferences, a multielement design was used to evaluate three conditions: (a) assigning a preferred task, (b) assigning a nonpreferred task, and (c) providing a choice between work tasks. Results indicated individual participant data were idiosyncratic and choice making failed to produce superior effects for any of the participants. Students' task preferences changed from preassessment to postassessment, although their nonpreferred tasks remained unchanged. Results are discussed in terms of previous research and future research needs with this student population.
Utilizing Literary Texts in Teacher Education to Promote Positive Attitudes toward Children with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Authors: Marlowe Mike , Maycock George A. , Palmer Laurie F. , Morrison William F.
Published: March 2018

This study examined the effects of a literary text-based course in emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) on changing preservice teachers' attitudes toward characteristics of children with EBD. An experimental group (N = 32) was instructed with a literary text-based approach, while a control group (N = 30) was instructed with a professional text-based approach. Both groups completed a semantic differential survey measuring attitudes toward children with EBD during the first and last weeks of the 15-week course. Comparison of the groups' pre- and posttest survey results, utilizing analysis of covariance, showed the experimental group had a significantly more positive change in attitudes toward characteristics of children with EBD. Reasons why group differences in attitude occurred are discussed with emphasis on literary texts' ability to provide a more imaginative, relevant, and humane view of children with EBD.
Denial and Defensiveness in the Place of Fact and Reason: Rejoinder to Smith and Lovaas
Authors: Gresham Frank M. , Macmillan Donald L.
Published: March 2018

The Smith and Lovaas (1997) rebuttal to our article (Gresham & MacMillan, 1997) is defensive, factually inaccurate, and often trivial in its attempts to distract readers from the more important issues of methodological rigor and experimental validity. Smith and Lovaas inaccurately claim that the EIP studies incorporated all six features outlined by the National Institutes of Health for scientifically sound outcome studies and still do not admit to any methodological problems with the lack of random assignment, instrumentation, statistical regression, and use of educational placement as an outcome measure. More important for schools and fair hearing officers, Smith and Lovaas do not adequately address the issues of external validity or generalizability of their findings across sites, subjects, parents, treatment implementers, and to settings in which physical punishment cannot be used. We indicate that the EIP results are indeed promising; however, the evidence presented to date is not as compelling as Smith and Lovaas suggest. Smith and Lovaas's inability to concede any methodological limitations of the EIP studies should give the parental, educational, and research communities reason for concern.
Children who Qualify for LD and SED Programs: Do They Differ in Level of ADHD Symptoms and Comorbid Psychiatric Conditions?
Authors: Bussing Regina , Zima Bonnie T. , Belin Thomas R. , Forness Steven R.
Published: March 2018

Questions have been raised about the implications of the use of the psychiatric diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the decision process for serving children in special education programs for either learning disabilities (LD) or serious emotional disturbance (SED). In this two-stage study children in LD and SED programs were first screened for ADHD risk using parent and teacher ratings. High-risk students subsequently underwent a comprehensive follow-up assessment for ADHD and comorbid conditions, including oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem, using child self-report measures and a diagnostic interview. A higher proportion of children with SED were under treatment for ADHD compared to students in LD programs. Based on multiple informants, children at high risk for ADHD did not differ in symptomatology or comorbidity by special education program. Children within both LD and SED programs who met diagnostic criteria for ADHD generally had more severe impairments than children who met only initial screening criteria for ADHD. Further refinements of pathways to appropriate educational interventions for children with ADHD are needed. Policy implications of the findings are discussed.
Head Start Children Finishing First Grade: Preliminary Data on School Identification of Children at Risk for Special Education
Authors: Forness Steven R. , Ramey Sharon L. , Ramey Craig T. , Hsu Chuanchieh , Brezausek Carl M. , Macmillan Donald L. , Kavale Kenneth A. , Zima Bonnie T.
Published: March 2018

Although Head Start has a mandate to serve children with disabilities as at least 10% of its population, few systematic data are available on identification of children in various disability categories in the years immediately following their preschool experience. In the study reported here, two cohorts of 4,161 children across 30 sites were followed through first grade as part of a larger study on transition assistance. At-risk status was assessed at the beginning of kindergarten by developing research diagnostic criteria (RDC) for four major special education categories using clinical cut-off points on language, achievement, and social skills measures and indicators of speech or mental health problems on parent interviews. The school identification of study participants in each RDC was determined by a search of school archival records in the spring of first grade. Only 26% of the children meeting RDC in the four major categories were identified by the schools, and little concordance was observed among categories. Findings are discussed in relation to disability categories, with particular reference to assumptions about underidentification of children with emotional or behavioral disorders.
The Traits of “Good Teachers” as Identified by African-American and White Students with Emotional and/or Behavioral Disorders
Authors: Mcintyre Tom , Battle Juan
Published: March 2018

The responses of 209 youngsters in 11 programs for students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (E/BD) were examined regarding their perceptions of four trait categories of so-called good teachers: Personality Traits, Respectful Treatment of Students, Behavior Management Practices, and Instructional Skills. Results demonstrated that African-American students perceived Personality Traits and Respectful Treatment of Students as being more important than their white counterparts; females felt that all four of the trait configurations were more important than their male counterparts felt they were; and as the age of students increased, each of the four trait configurations was viewed as being less important. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Behavioral Disorders: A Postmodern Perspective
Authors: Elkind David
Published: March 2018

This article argues that, at any given time in history, our conceptions and theories of behavioral disorders reflect the basic social and cultural tenets that prevail. In support of this argument, the article describes how modern theories and conceptions of behavioral disorders were reflective of the modern beliefs in progress, universality, and regularity. Our contemporary conceptions and theories of behavioral disorders, however, mirror the postmodern themes of difference, particularity, and regularity. We are historical as well as social beings, and it is well to be aware of how much our science echoes themes of our contemporary society and culture.
Postmodernism and Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: Distraction or Advancement?
Authors: Sugai George
Published: March 2018

Because students with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) present significant academic and social behavior challenges for educators, solutions are likely to be incremental, slow, and expensive, and educational programming must be direct, effective, and efficient. The postmodern perspective offers a solution that emphasizes individual differences, particularity, irregularity, and divergence. In response to the postmodern perspective, this article offers two main considerations. First, we must increase, rather than decrease, our dependence on scientific data and theories to guide educational policies and research efforts. Second, we must assume responsibility for measuring and owning the impact of our actions and decisions on the lives of students with E/BD and their families and communities. The value of our empirical tradition, the need to continue this perspective, and the potential perils of assuming a postmodern perspective when educating students with E/BD are discussed.
Challenges Facing Successful Transition for Youths with E/BD
Authors: Maag John W. , Katsiyannis Antonis
Published: March 2018

In 1990, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act added a new mandate that the individualized education program for all students age 16 and older must include a statement of the transition services needed to prepare them for postschool activities. Providing transition services to youths with emotional or behavioral disorders (E/BD) has been particularly difficult because their problems are often intractable and, consequently result in poor outcomes such as dropping out of school, unemployment, incarceration, and psychopathology This article describes challenges involved in ensuring successful transition for youths with E/BD and makes recommendations for improving transition services.
Teacher Ratings of Social Skills as Longitudinal Predictors of Long-Term Arrest Status in a Sample of At-Risk Males
Authors: Walker Hill M. , Stieber Steve
Published: March 2018

The study described here is one of a number of longitudinal reports involving an at-risk group of 80 males we have been following since 1984 in collaboration with the Oregon Social Learning Center (OSLO. We collected the following measures on the study participants twice annually, fall and spring: (a) direct observations in classroom and playground settings through grade 6; (b) teacher ratings on the Walker-McConnell Scale of Social Competence and School Adjustment; and (c) archival school records (e.g., attendance, discipline referrals, negative narrative comments in cumulative folders, standardized achievement test data, and so forth). OSLC staff accessed public safety and court records annually to record police contacts, arrests, and dispositions of cases. This article examines the relationships over a 6-year period between teacher ratings of social skills recorded in grade 5 and arrest records through grade 11. Results indicated that teacher ratings of social skills were a significant predictor of police contacts and arrest status during middle and high school years for this group of students. Implications for early detection and intervention are discussed in light of these findings.
Early Intervention for the Prevention of Conduct Disorder: Research Issues in Early Identification, Implementation, and Interpretation of Treatment Outcome
Authors: Hester Peggy P. , Kaiser Ann P.
Published: March 2018

Conduct disorder typically develops in a context of multiple determinants. Parent and child characteristics, the dynamics of the interaction between the parent and child, and how that interaction is impacted by economic, cultural, and social circumstances of the family are determinants in the development of a conduct disorder. Critical factors for successful preventive intervention for conduct disorder include early identification of children at risk, intervention in multiple contexts, teaching developmentally appropriate skills, and longitudinal intervention with continued maintenance and transition support. This article discusses the issues and challenges inherent in prevention research, including challenges in recruiting and working with parents who are stressed by the effects of poverty, designing appropriate interventions for young children, and using outcome measures that reflect developmental continuities, subject attrition, and fidelity of treatment.
Macro-Social Validation: Referencing Outcomes in Behavioral Disorders to Societal Issues and Problems
Authors: Walker Hill M. , Forness Steven R. , Kauffman James M. , Epstein Michael H. , Gresham Frank M. , Nelson C. Michael , Strain Phillip S.
Published: March 2018

During the past two decades, the field of special education has become politicized and fragmented as a result of internal strife and turf battles among professionals. Special education often is perceived by professionals in other fields as strife ridden, expensive, litigious, consumed with legislative mandates and court orders, and ineffective. These perceptions have damaged special education's status and hindered its ability to pursue its agenda. By association, the field of behavioral disorders also has suffered from these perceptions. We need to rededicate ourselves to empirical inquiry and use our collective expertise to find solutions to problems that are of great concern to children and families as well as the larger society. In so doing, we may achieve a degree of macrosocial validation for our efforts. The term macrosocial validation, as used herein, refers to recognition, approval, and valuing of a field's professional activities by the larger constituencies affected by them, such as the general public, the U.S. Congress, and policymakers.
Methodological Issues in Functional Analysis: Generalizability to Other Disability Groups
Authors: Gresham Frank M. , Quinn Mary Magee , Restori Alberto
Published: March 2018

Functional assessment is now required for some students under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) reauthorization provisions to assist in the identification of positive behavioral intervention plans and supports. Functional analysis, the approach to functional assessment that is used to identify the causes of behavior and facilitate the development of such plans, has an extensive history in behavioral theory and practice. However, four methodological issues should be resolved before the field can adopt functional analysis as standard practice in the schools: (1) client characteristics, (2) response classes, (3) analog assessments, and (4) criteria for determining behavioral function. At this time, most of what we know about functional analysis of behavior is based on research with self-injurious behavior conducted with clients having severe and profound mental retardation. Until these methodological issues have been resolved, we must question the use of this technique as outlined in the 1997 amendments to IDEA.
Social and Academic Profiles of Externalizing and Internalizing Groups: Risk Factors for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Authors: Gresham Frank M. , Lane Kathleen L. , Macmillan Donald L. , Bocian Kathleen M.
Published: March 2018

Three groups of third-grade students classified as either Externalizers (n = 30), Internalizes (n = 55) or Controls (n = 96) were contrasted on 19 measures in social and academic domains using multivariate analyses. Based on these analyses, a series of descriptive discriminant function analyses were undertaken to determine the best predictors of Externalizing and Internalizing group membership. Of 19 variables, those that best predicted Externalizing status compared to Controls were critical events, social skills, academic competence, peer acceptance, negative narrative comments, math, and reading, in that order. Variables that best predicted Internalizing status compared to Controls were social skills, academic competence, math, critical events, reading, peer acceptance, and negative narrative comments. Variables that best separated students on Externalizing and Internalizing status were critical events, disciplinary referrals, social impact, academic self-concept, school absences, peer acceptance, and academic competence. Cross-validated classification analyses correctly classified 97% of the Externalizing group and 89% of the Internalizing group compared to Controls. A classification analysis contrasting Externalizers and Internalizes resulted in correct classification rates of 63% and 84%, respectively. Contrary to much research in special education, both Externalizing and Internalizing groups appeared to have adequate academic self-concepts and social self-concepts. These findings were interpreted in light of recent work on positive illusory biases and the hypothesized relationship between unrealistically positive self-evaluations and psychological adjustment.
Academic Strategy Identification for Students Exhibiting Inappropriate Classroom Behaviors
Authors: Jolivette Kristine , Wehby Joseph H. , Hirsch Laura
Published: March 2018

This study investigated the effectiveness of an academic strategy identification procedure that incorporated structural analysis techniques in a special education classroom. The procedure assessed the effectiveness of three academic strategies based on the results of individualized assessments for three boys with emotional and behavioral disorders (E/BD) and academic difficulties in mathematics. All three students demonstrated an increase in their math accuracy following the implementation of the academic strategy identified in this procedure. The results of this study suggest that the academic strategy identification procedure can identify efficient and appropriate individualized academic strategies for students with E/BD and that such academic strategies can increase the percentage of accurate math responses.
Functional Behavioral Assessment: Implications for Training and Staff Development
Authors: Scott Terrance M. , Nelson C. Michael
Published: March 2018

As Nelson, Roberts, Mathur, and Rutherford (1998) have noted, the evidence supporting functional assessment of students with mild disabilities in typical classrooms is limited. While common sense tells us that the usefulness of these procedures ultimately will be determined on the basis of student outcomes, we are concerned that teachers will not embrace the methodology. Furthermore, without appropriate training and support, we fear that they will not be able to implement it in a way that will ensure its effectiveness. In this article, we discuss some difficulties that may be anticipated in facilitating teachers' use of functional assessment procedures. We suggest strategies for promoting acceptance of the process and for providing training and technical assistance to support its appropriate implementation.
The Present Unwrapped: Change and Challenge in the Field of Behavioral Disorders
Authors: Walker Hill M. , Zeller Richard W. , Close Daniel W. , Webber Jo , Gresham Frank
Published: March 2018

This article examines the present state of affairs in the field of behavioral disorders. The case is made that the field's target population has changed dramatically for the worse over the past 25 years due primarily to the transformation of our society in an unfortunate manner. Because of long-term exposure to such risk factors as poverty, drug and alcohol use by caregivers, child neglect, social fragmentation, weak parenting practices, and violent images in the media, we have produced a generation of children and youth who are far more at risk for unhealthy lives than prior generations. Our society's responses to the damaging effects of these developments (e.g., school failure and dropout, delinquency, violent acts) have been characterized primarily by the use of punishing sanctions designed to teach vulnerable children and youth lessons of avoidance rather than to prevent these conditions or to habilitate the victims of them. Strategies are suggested for professionals to consider in advocating for new, proactive approaches in addressing these societal problems.
CCBD: A Record of Accomplishment
Authors: Wood Frank H.
Published: March 2018

A personal history of the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (CCBD) is given, with special attention to CCBD's beginnings. The development of the organization is traced since its inception, with emphasis on origins; growth; and changes in membership representation, committees, publications, and awards. CCBD's history of political activism is recalled, including position papers and cooperative efforts with other groups. The article concludes with a mention of how theory and practice in the education of students with emotional and behavioral disorders have developed over the span of CCBD's existence.
Self-Reported Job Stress and Personality in Teachers of Students with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders
Authors: Center David B. , Callaway John M.
Published: March 2018

This study examined self-reported stressors for teachers of students with emotional or behavioral disorders (E/BD) using a questionnaire developed specifically for the study. The study examined (a) the relationship between reported stressors and reported willingness to leave an E/BD teaching position, (b) the relationship between reported stressors and three personality traits from the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQ-R), and (c) the relationship between the Eysenck personality traits and E/BD teacher-reported injury by students. One expected result was that E/BD teachers reporting the largest number of stressors indicated a greater willingness to leave an E/BD teaching position than their peers with fewer stressors. Importantly, teachers who reported low stress scored significantly lower than teachers who reported high stress on the Psychoticism (P) and Neuroticism (N) scales, but not on the Extroversion (E) scale on the EPQ-R. Teachers who reported low stress were significantly below the normal range for the N scale. Of the sample studied, 19% reported being injured by a student within the past 12 months, a significant increase above those reporting such occurrences in previous studies on teacher injury. Moreover, teachers who had been injured by a student scored significantly higher on Eysenck's P scale than did noninjured teachers, which suggests that such teachers may interact with students in a manner that puts them at greater risk for being injured. The results are discussed, and additional research is suggested.
The Hidden Conspiracy in Our Nation's Schools
Authors: Sachs John
Published: March 2018

Why do schools and communities continue to systematically underestimate and underidentify students with emotional or behavioral disorders (E/BD)? This article identifies some of the underlying emotions of our school administrators, congressional leaders, and communities that result in the neglect of students who are in dire need of special education and related services.