Currently, less than one-half that number are formally identified and receive special education services. There is considerable agreement about general patterns or types of disordered behavior. Not all behaviorally disordered students experience academic difficulties, but the two factors are often associated. Educational interventions should match the established needs of students with behavioral disorders. Multidisciplinary educational teams, including parents, must design programs to meet the individual behavioral and academic needs of identified SED students.
Most students can benefit from supportive treatments provided in regular programs.
For others, at least temporary placements in special classrooms, schools, or institutional programs may be appropriate. Behavior management techniques, such as positive reinforcement, token economies, contracting, and time-out, which rely on direct measurement and monitoring of behavioral change, are commonly used in SED programs. The assessment and systematic teaching of social skills through modeling, discussion, and rehearsal are frequently used to help students increase control over their behavior and improve their relations with others. Wood, F. H., and K. C. Lakin. Morse, W. C., and J. M. Smith.