Emotional Disturbance

Overview:
The term emotional disturbance is an umbrella term that encompasses the following disorders:

Anxiety Disorders

Bipolar Disorder (also called Manic-Depression)

Conduct Disorders

Eating Disorders

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Psychotic Disorders

Definition:
To meet the IDEA definition of emotional disturbance, a child must exhibit on or more of the following,
and it must negatively impact his or her academic performance:

An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors.

An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.

Inappropriate types of behaviors or feelings under normal circumstances.

A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.

A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.

Characteristics:

Hyperactivity (short attention span, impulsiveness)

Aggression or Self-Injury Behavior (acting out, fighting)

Withdrawal (not interacting socially with others, excessive fear or anxiety)

Immaturity (inappropriate crying, temper tantrums, poor coping skills)

Learning Difficulties (performing below grade level academically)

Learning Strategies:

Giving and receiving respect:

When students feel welcomed, valued, and respected in their classrooms, they are more likely to
act respectfully towards their teacher. Take the time to foster a welcoming classroom
environment.

Manage classroom behavior by modifying your teaching strategy:

Importance of student-based curriculum design and inquiry based learning to keep kids engaged
cannot be emphasized enough. There will be far fewer behavioral issues in a classroom if the
students are engaged in differentiated curriculum.

Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support (PBIS):

Fostering positive behavior and minimizing problem behavior in students with emotional
disturbance through school-wide implementation of best practices.

Teaching Self Management:

Teaching students to be cognizant of their own behavior, demonstrate appropriate play and social
interaction skills, and participation and engagement in classroom activities before penalizing
students for non-compliance or misbehavior.

Psychological and Counseling Services:

Important related service provided to students with emotional disturbance through IDEA on their
Individual Education Program (IEP)
These services are provided by a qualified social worker, psychologist, guidance counselor, or
other qualified personnel.

Addressing Stereotypes:
Find a way to address the stereotypes that surround emotional disturbance disorders and work to
break down the social stigma they carry.

References:

Center for Parent Information and Resources

Emotional Disturbance
This page has a good overview of what emotional disturbance is, as well as a breakdown of what
each of the different disorders under the umbrella looks like.
http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/emotionaldisturbance/

National Association of Special Education Teachers

Emotional DisturbanceTopic Areas
This website has compiled a directory of web-based resources from a variety of sources relating
to children with emotional disturbance disorders and how best serve them in the classroom.
https://www.naset.org/emotionaldisturbance2.0.html

Additional Resources for Teachers:

Parents:
Parents know their children well, and they can give you lots of information about what works or
doesnt work for their child. This is especially important for this IDEA category, as it is very
broad.

Student with the emotional disturbance:

Asking the student what works for them and what they would like from you can be very
informative.

Other educators or specialists involved with the students IEP:

Take advantage of any resources other teachers might be able to provide. Educators and
professionals who work closely with a child have insight to their personal learning needs and
style.