Education of Students with Behavior Disorders

I

Introduction

Education of Students with Behavior Disorders, area in the field of special education that focuses on emotional or behavioral problems experienced by some children and adolescents. These problems disrupt relations with peers and adults and interfere with schooling. In the United States, school officials commonly identify students with these problems as having “serious emotional disturbance,” or behavior disorders. Estimates of the number of behavior disorders in the United States vary from 0.5 percent to over 20 percent of the population. Studies indicate that about 7 to 12 percent of U.S. students experience behavior disorders at some time during their school years. However, only about 1 percent of all students receive special education services for their problems. Others may receive services from community mental health agencies or they may receive private psychotherapy.

II

Behavior Disorders and Other Difficulties

Many problems that students experience are normal responses to stressful events in their lives. These problems are generally temporary. However, the difficulties of students with behavior disorders make it impossible for them to complete fundamental tasks, such as acquiring skills and interacting with teachers or peers. These difficulties may vary considerably in degree. Some problems may be so subtle that experts will disagree about whether they constitute behavior disorders at all, but others may be so substantial that experts identify them as childhood schizophrenia, psychosis, or autism.

Children and adolescents who have behavior disorders typically experience problems that are markedly different from the behavior of students of similar age and cultural background. Their problems persist or recur frequently, even when schools provide nurturing environments. These problems occur both in school and at home or in the community.

III

History and Legislation

Although there has been an awareness of behavior disorders among children throughout history, concern for them increased substantially during the 20th century. Governments passed laws mandating the education of these children. In the United States, notable federal legislation included the Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, which was renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990, and was amended in 1997. Because of provisions in IDEA, students in the United States who are identified as having serious emotional disturbance qualify to receive special education services.

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IV

Types

Students with behavior disorders may exhibit any of a wide variety of problems. Experts often categorize these problems as one of two general types: externalizing disorders or internalizing disorders. Externalizing disorders, also called undercontrolled disorders, include such problems as aggressive or disruptive behavior, negative attitude, stealing, and truancy. Internalizing disorders, also known as overcontrolled disorders, include such problems as anxiety, immaturity, shyness, sluggishness, and social withdrawal. Students with either externalizing or internalizing disorders sometimes have problems with attention, although these problems do not necessarily indicate attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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