Teachers expected to work with all children

Many students arrive with behavioural

characteristics that disrupt the teaching/learning
process
How do we distinguish such children from the
“normal developmental behaviour of childhood?”

Defining Behaviour Disorders

No such thing as a typical child with
a behaviour disorder

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 North American Definitions
 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA, 1997) definition of “emotional disturbance”
(original term for behavioural disorders)

1. Exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics

over a long period of time and to a marked degree,
which adversely affects educational performance:

Defining Behaviour Disorders

a. An inability to learn

b. An inability to build or maintain satisfactory

interpersonal relationships with peers & teachers

Defining Behaviour Disorders

c. Inappropriate types of behaviour or feelings under normal
circumstances

d. A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression

e. A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears

associated with personal or school problems

Defining Behaviour Disorders

2. The term includes children who are schizophrenic (but
not children who are socially maladjusted)
Criticisms from the Council for Children with Behaviour
Disorders (CCBD)
 Excluding CD and social maladjustment
 Arguments

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Other NA Definitions
 National Mental Health and Special Education Coalition
• Forness and Knitzer (1992) “Emotional or Behavioural
Disorders (EBD)”:
“Characterized by age inappropriate behavioural or
emotional responses in school that adversely affect
performance”

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Other NA Definitions
 Council for Children with Behavioural Disorders
• Forness and Kavale (2000):

Include the possibility of EBD co-occurring with other

disabilities

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Canadian Definitions
“When students exhibit, to a marked and
prolonged extent, behaviour that is clearly
undesirable, inappropriate, and maladaptive in
its social context, they are grouped into the
broad category of behaviourally disordered or
behaviour exceptionalities
• 2 most common are aggressive-acting-out
behaviour and social withdrawal

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Canadian Definitions of
Behaviour Exceptionalities
 Unlike the US, no federal definition
 Each jurisdiction determines what categories will
exist
 10 Provincial or Territorial jurisdictions have official
definitions (8 different definitions)
 4 jurisdictions have no definition

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Group One
 NWT, Nunavut, Yukon, PEI
 No definition or label for students exhibiting
behavioural difficulties
 Each has a non-categorical model of special
education delivery (“No labeling necessary”
model)

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Group One
 PEI exception: if an adolescent treatment
program is required (i.e., placement in an
adolescent treatment facility)

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Group Two

 Five Jurisdictions with a single definition

encompassing ALL students identified as
behaviourally/emotionally exceptional

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Group Two

 Newfoundland
• behaviour occurs in multiple environments
including school
• adversely affects educational performance in one
or more areas (e.g. social relationships, academic
progress)
• behaviour is significantly different in degree
and/or kind from “age appropriate norms”

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Group Two

 New Brunswick
“… excessive, chronic, inappropriate, behaviours
which consistently interfere with their learning
and/or social development, as well as that of other
students.”

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Group Two

 Nova Scotia
• student’s behaviour deviates significantly from
age appropriate expectations that affect the
student’s ability to succeed in a regular classroom

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Group Two
 Ontario (adapted from IDEA)
• Behaviour problems over a period of time, marked
degree and nature that adversely affect educational
performance
• May be accompanied by one or more of the
following:
Inability to build or maintain interpersonal relationships
Excessive fears or anxieties
Tendency to compulsive reaction
An inability to learn not traced to intellectual, sensory,
or other health factors

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Group Two

 Ontario (cont’d)
• Current definition under review

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Group Two
 Saskatchewan
• School-based team) affirms that the student:
 has a persistent problem
which is profoundly inappropriate
seriously interferes with the educational process
of self and/or others
differs from cultural, social, community or age
appropriate standards

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Group Three

 Jurisdictions with multiple definitions based on the

severity of the behavioural difficulty
 Level of funding is related to severity

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Group Three

 Manitoba
• Level 1:
• comprehensive assessment indicates severe
emotional, social & behavioural problems
requiring individualized special programming

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Group Three

 Manitoba
• Level 2:
• Extensive modifications in educational
programming

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Group Three

 Manitoba
• Level 3:
• Individualized instruction for entire
school day + intensive support services

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Group Three

 Alberta
a) Emotional/Behavioural Disability (generally
described)
i. poor relationships
ii. Negative mood
iii.Inappropriate behaviour
iv. Difficulty coping

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Group Three

 Alberta
b) Severe Emotional/Behavioural Disability
i. Extreme, chronic & pervasive behaviours
ii. Dangerously aggressive & violent
behaviours
iii.Receives highly individualized program
iv. Assessment by mental health professional

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Group Three

 Alberta
c) Institutional/Homebound
• Group home, correctional institution,
hospital
d) Justice
• Incarcerated, detention centre

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Group Three

 British Columbia
a) Students with Behavioural Disorders
• General dysfunctional interactions
• Usually handled by counselling & school-
based services

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Group Three

 British Columbia
b) Moderate Behaviour Disorders
• Aggression, delinquency
• Negative mood, thought disorders
• Very disruptive, pervasive, & chronic
• Have not responded to school-based
intervention

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Group Three

 British Columbia
c) Severe Behaviour Disorders
• Extremely disruptive
• Severe mental health conditions
• Serious risk to self & others
• Need intensive intervention, alternate
settings
Defining Behaviour Disorders
 Group Three

 Quebec
a) Students with behaviour difficulties
• Assessment reveals inability to adapt in multiple
situations
• Overactive & underactive behaviour
• Requires special education services

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Group Three

 Quebec
b) Students with severe behavioural difficulties
linked to psychosocial disturbances
• Functional assessment by multidisciplinary
team leads to diagnosis of
• Delinquency
• Severe behaviour disorder

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Kaufman, 1997: “vague & inappropriate definitions
contribute to confused & inadequate legislation, foggy
administrative policies, non-functional teacher training &
ineffective intervention”
With broad definitions, many more referrals for special
education across all provinces:
•Phipps (1982) and Kaufman (1997) both report that
more than 80% of the boys referred for special education
are referred primarily because of their behaviour

Defining Behaviour Disorders

Why such confusion over the definitions?

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Common Characteristics
1. They deviate in an extreme way from the
norm
2. They recur chronically
3. They violate social & cultural
expectations
4. They affect child’s self-esteem,
interpersonal relationships, safety &
school achievement

Defining Behaviour Disorders

 Overlap with Other Categories
 See handout

Defining Behaviour Disorders

Why Study Separately?

Defining Behaviour Disorders