The "ED" label - the Ugly Side

Many students with Emotional Disturbance (ED) are untrusting and angry; parents are exasperated and feel guilty; and districts feel apologetic and worn out from spending so much time on one student. The following comments/questions are typical of families and districts trying to meet the needs of students with Emotional Disturbance:

• “Why am I always picked on in class?”

• “I don’t know why the school just can’t manage my child!”

• “They don’t act this way at home!”

Having or serving a child with emotional difficulties (ED) that are severe enough to be interfering with their schooling is very trying – for parents, guardians, before or after-school providers, and school staff. Many people struggle to believe that ED is a real diagnosis; others want to blame the fall of the family or school structures in our society; and others are just overwhelmed. While working with these students is difficult, it helps to understand that there are specific strategies which will work both at home and at school to assist students to be more successful.

Sobering Statistics for students with Emotional Disturbance

Approximately 10.8% of students in California (12.9 nation-wide) qualify for Special Education (Data Display: California, 2011). Much more sobering are the statistics on Special Education and behavior problems in school. Less than 1% of students qualify as Emotionally Disturbed across the USA. Within this group of students identified as Emotionally Disturbed, more than 75% of students are male (female students are identified less often); African-American students appear to be over-represented and Hispanic students under-represented, and the majority of students with ED are not diagnosed until ages 12-17, as opposed to most other Special Education categories where students are identified much earlier. (Eligibility for Services, 2001).

Unfortunately, although less than one percent of students are identified as being Emotionally Disturbed, studies have shown that of youth who are incarcerated, approximately 20% are young adults identified as being in Special Education with an eligibility of Emotional Disturbance. (Julie Holmquist, 2013). Holmquist notes that, “Many of these young people are referred to the corrections system directly from school. There are several school-related factors that make an arrest more likely for inappropriate, nonviolent behaviors that are often typical of a student’s disability. These factors include: inadequate training for educators in special education; zero-tolerance discipline policies in school; and few school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports.”

Challenges of Emotional Disturbance

Emotional Disturbance is such an emotionally-laden term. Parents and students often reject or recoil from that term simply because it evokes images of what is represented in the media (e.g., Carrie in “The Exorcist”, or men in white coats taking people away). The stigmatism of Emotional Disturbance is one of fear and shame, therefore affecting the willingness of an individual to request assistance when necessary. The term itself actually describes a very real challenge. If a student’s emotional state is interfering with their education, then the student may qualify for Special Education as a student with Emotional Disturbance. An eligibility of Emotional Disturbance must be determined by an assessment conducted by a qualified team of professionals, and an Individual Education Plan (IEP) meeting . It is not a label that is loosely given. There are many students in school settings who are struggling to focus and learn simply because their internal emotional state is negatively impacting their ability to access their curriculum, form positive peer relationships and adult relationships, and maintain the motivation to grow and succeed in a learning environment.

When a child is young, there is the assumption that they will naturally pick up the social skills needed to be a part of a peer group. It is a very complicated set of skills that include, but are not limited to, listening to others, giving and accepting feedback, asking clarifying questions, and correctly interpreting facial and/or body language cues. When a student does not pick up on these social norms because of their poor processing, second language issues, or emotional issues, they don’t learn how to be a friend or have a friend. This typically leads students to mis-interpret others and become highly cautious and aware of what others are doing. Often this emerges in comments such as, “He was looking at me,” or “He yelled at me.” The following examples describe students with Emotional Disturbance and the challenges that they face:

• Joe qualifies as a student with Emotional Disturbance (ED) primarily because he has an inability to build or maintain appropriate interactions with peers or adults (Sec. 300.8 Child with a disability). Joe tends to misinterpret comments, facial expressions, or actions of other students or school staff. Joe then makes comments to other students that “freak them out,” and that causes others to back away from Joe and limit their time with him.

• Josephine qualifies as a student with ED primarily because she has inappropriate types of behaviors or feelings under normal circumstances. Josephine breaks down and cries at strange times, and often needs time out of the room to compose herself or to take a break. At times, she comes late to school, goes home early, or cuts certain classes. She may experience things to a greater degree such as when something is funny she cannot stop laughing and cries excessively while watching sad movies. It is difficult for staff to predict her emotional state, and she struggles to contain her emotions without outside prompting. Josephine has also been known to really get angry, and once angry to not be able to control her reactions, which results in throwing books or chairs, screaming, and yelling profanities. She is like a volcano erupting and affecting everyone around her.

• Jose qualifies as a student with ED due to a general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression. There may not be any apparent reason for the depressive mood, but Jose has struggled with school attendance for several years. He hates getting up and going to school even though in the past he seemed to enjoy his classes. He shows depression across multiple settings: home, social settings and school. Jose’s mood instability progressively becomes worse until he begins to fail his classes and ultimately, feels it is not even worth trying anymore. Jose may self-medicate, trying to “feel better.” It is difficult to explain to him why doing drugs is wrong when he feels it helps him out of his slump.

• John qualifies as a student with ED because he tends to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems. John appears in the nurse’s office more than any other student, often feeling sick, asking for his temperature to be taken, and even vomiting during times of stress.

There are students in every school who show some or all of the above behaviors. The Special Education laws are specific in that no one person may diagnose a child for Special Education. A team of appropriate professionals must carefully decide if the student is in need of the support that Special Education can provide. It is very difficult for a general education teacher to determine if a student needs the support of Special Education. Parents often see their own fears, behaviors and struggles in their child, and wonder why their child is not successful even though they, (the parents,) were able to “deal with it” when they were in school. Many view the need for Special Education assessments as a failure on their part, even though Special Education services ensure that students with special needs have access to alternative supports so they can be successful in school.

There is no easy answer, although there are many contributing factors as to why students are struggling in today’s educational systems. Many students with Emotional Disturbance will resort to maladaptive behaviors such as the use of weapons, drug dealing and use of drugs. The education system is a reactive system which works with 80-95% of the school population. The public school system generally is not successful in support the remaining 5%-20% of students. Staff is not specifically trained on how to handle the behaviors of those students with Emotional Disturbance, and the school-wide systems do not support the individual needs of all students.

SEE PART 2 FOR INFORMATION ON INTERVENTIONS AND HOPE