Team 2 

Katherine Morgan

Brandi Wesley, Rachel Cradic, Chantelle Battle

Emotional Disturbance

Main Characteristics

Children with an emotional disturbance may have short attention spans and be impulsive. Other signs of
emotional disturbance are acting out, with drawls from others and anxiety. These behaviors are sign
that the child is not dealing well with their environment and is likely to last for an extended period
("Engaging Gifted and Talented Students," 2012).

Definition

Emotional Disturbance is a behavioral or emotional response in school that can be different from
appropriate age, ethnic, and cultural that affects academic performance Friend, Bursuck (2019).

History

In the late 1900’s Emotional Disturbance was adopted by the National Mental Health and Special
Education Coalition. In 1975 Congress adopted the passing of The Education for All Handicapped
Children Act (IDEA) ("History of Emotional Behavioral Disorder," n.d.).

Causes

Research shows there are no actual causes of emotional disturbance. They believe heredity, brain
disorder, stress, and family functioning may be causes of emotional disturbance Peterson (2022).

Accommodations and Modifications

According to “Accommodations for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders” (2022), “Many
students with emotional disturbance have wide range of accommodations and modifications such as
providing clear instructions, give students extra time on all assignments, breaks when needed, and
preferential seating arrangements.”

Language Ability of Students

Students with emotional disturbance often goes unidentified with language disorder. They struggle in
their academic’s areas, with language deficits Chow (2017).

The Least Restrictive Environment

Under Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) all students must have the opportunity to be
serve in the least restrictive environment. They must be included in the general education class with
their non-disabled peers ("Emotional Disturbance & The Least Restrictive Environment National
Association of Special Education Teachers," n.d.).

References 

Accommodations for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. (2022).

https://www.yourtherapysource.com/blog1/2022/03/11/accommodations-for-students-with-
emotional-and-behavioral-disorders/

History of Emotional Behavioral Disorder. (n.d.). https://ebdforeveryone.weebly.com/history-of-

emotional-behavioral-disorders.html

Chow, Jason C. (2017). Language Ability of Students With Emotional Disturbance: Discrepancies Between
Teacher Ratings and Direct Assessment.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1534508417702063?journalCode=aeib

Emotional Disturbance & The Least Restrictive Environment National Association of Special Education
Teachers. (n.d.). https://slidetodoc.com/emotional-disturbance-the-least-restrictive-environment-
national-association/

Friend, Bursuck, Marilyn, William D. (2019). Including Students with Special Needs, a Practical Guide for
Classroom Teachers (8th ed.). Pearson.

Engaging Gifted and Talented Students. (2012). https://teach.com/resources/engaging-gifted-and-

talented-students/

Peterson, Tanya J. (2022). What Causes Emotional and Behavioral Disorders?.

https://www.healthyplace.com/parenting/behavior-disorders/what-causes-emotional-and-behavioral-
disorders