Emotional or Behavioral Disorder:

Introduction:
An emotional and behavioural disorder (EBD) is a broad category which is used
commonly in educational settings, to group a range of more specific perceived difficulties
of children and adolescents. Both general definitions as well as concrete diagnosis of
EBD may be controversial as the observed behavior may depend on many factors.
Children’s behaviors exist on a continuum, and there is no specific line that separates
troubling behavior from a serious emotional problem. Rather, a problem can range from
mild to serious. A child is said to have a specific “diagnosis” or “disorder” when his or
her behaviors occur frequently and are severe. A diagnosis represents a “best guess”
based on a child’s behaviors that he or she has a specific mental health disorder and not
just a problem that all children might have from time to time. Research on the cause of
emotional disorders has shown that the way the brain receives and processes information
is different for children with some types of disorders than for those who do not have
those problems. However, this is not true for all children with emotional disorders. The
criterion that establishes the presence of a mental health disorder is subject to
interpretation that may vary from professional to professional. Cultural and subjective
criteria such as race, socioeconomic status, or the behaviors of the child’s parents at the
time of evaluation have an effect on professional opinion, as does the training of the
professional and his or her years of experience.

Summary: