Emotional

Disturbance
IDEA defines emotional disturbance as follows:

→ a condition exhibiting one or more of the following

characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked
degree that adversely affects a child’s educational
performance:
(A) An inability to learn that
cannot be explained by
intellectual, sensory, or
health factors.
( B ) An inability to build or
maintain satisfactory
interpersonal relationships with
peers and teachers.
behavi
or or
feeling
(D) A general pervasive
mood of unhappiness or
depression.
(E) A tendency to
develop physical
symptoms or fears
associated with
personal or school
problems.
 As defined by IDEA, emotional disturbance SAD
includes schizophrenia but does not apply
to children who are socially maladjusted,
unless it is determined that they have an
emotional disturbance.

HAPPY
Educational Placement

IDEA guarantees students access to a Free and

Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least
Restrictive Environment (LRE) possible. As such,
students diagnosed with emotional disorders (ED) are
often included in general education classrooms.
However, severe cases often require students to be
taught in special education "cluster units," self-
contained programs, or even separate schools.
Strategies for Teaching Students with Emotional
and Behavioral Disorders

1. Establish rules and routines

2. Provide a positive environment for learning
3. Provide support for positive behavior

 Token economy
 Classroom behavior chart
 Lottery system
 Positive peer review
Characteristics
As is evident in IDEA’s definition, emotional
disturbances can affect an individual in areas
beyond the emotional. Depending on the
specific mental disorder involved, a person’s
physical, social, or cognitive skills may also be
affected. The National Alliance on Mental
Illness of Southern Arizona puts this very
well:
Mental illnesses are medical
conditions that disrupt a person’s
thinking, feeling, mood, ability to
relate to others and daily
functioning. Just as diabetes is a
disorder of the pancreas, mental
illnesses are medical conditions
that often result in a diminished
capacity for coping with the
ordinary demands of life.
Some of the characteristics
and behaviors seen in
children who have an
emotional disturbance
include:
Hyperactivity (short attention span,
impulsiveness)
Hyperactivity (short attention span,
impulsiveness)

Aggression or self-injurious behavior

(acting out, fighting)
Hyperactivity (short attention span,
impulsiveness)

Aggression or self-injurious behavior

(acting out, fighting)

Withdrawal (not interacting socially

with others, excessive fear or anxiety)
Hyperactivity (short attention span,
impulsiveness)

Aggression or self-injurious behavior

(acting out, fighting)

Withdrawal (not interacting socially

with others, excessive fear or anxiety)

Immaturity (inappropriate crying,

temper tantrums, poor coping skills)
Hyperactivity (short attention span,
impulsiveness)

Aggression or self-injurious behavior

(acting out, fighting)

Withdrawal (not interacting socially

with others, excessive fear or anxiety)

Immaturity (inappropriate crying,

temper tantrums, poor coping skills)

Learning difficulties (academically

performing below grade level)
 Symptoms and Causes

Causes
No one knows the actual cause or causes of
emotional disturbance, although several
factors heredity, brain disorder, diet, stress,
and family functioning have been suggested
and vigorously researched. A great deal of
research goes on every day, but to date,
researchers have not found that any of these
factors are the direct cause of behavioral or
emotional problems.
According to NAMI, mental
illnesses can affect persons
of any age, race, religion, or
income.
 Symptoms

Symptoms of Emotional Disturbance

, like any mental illness, is an invisible condition that
impacts a person's mental functioning. According to
the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI),
feelings, thought processes, moods, and a person's
ability to conduct interpersonal relationships can be
affected by mental illness, including those that fall
under the umbrella of emotional disturbance. It makes
sense that symptoms of emotional disturbance can be
categorized into these same areas of impact.
Remember that one factor of emotional disturbance
requires ongoing, long-term existence of symptoms.
Behavioral
Symptoms
A child who expresses severe or prolonged aggression
is exhibiting symptoms of possible emotional
disturbance. Remember that there is a spectrum of
severity, and the key is the length of time a child
exhibits an aggressive overreaction to typical events.
Noncompliance and self-injury incidents are also
symptoms that fall under the outward displays of
inappropriate behaviors category for symptoms of
emotional disturbance.
Behavioral
Sometimes the negative behaviors involved with emotional

Symptoms
disturbance aren't overt, but internalized. In these cases, you
may find children who have long periods of depression (not
caused by any other biological or social factor), anxiety
issues, or even excessive daydreaming used as a coping
mechanism. Children exhibiting these internalized
symptoms are still expressing behavioral symptoms of
emotional disturbance, but it can be harder to identify than
the overtly aggressive symptoms seen in the previous
section.
PREVALENCE RATE OF EMOTIONAL
DISTURBANCE

At least one in 10 (10%), or about 6

million people, has a serious emotional
disturbance at some point in their life.
PREVALENCE RATE OF EMOTIONAL
DISTURBANCE

As estimated there are more than

335,000 students nationwide are
identified as having an emotional
disturbance.
 6 Types of Emotional Disturbance
The prevalence of anxiety
disorders across the
world varies from 2.5 to 7
1. Anxiety disorder percent by country.
Globally an estimated 284
million people
experienced an anxiety
disorder in 2017, making
it the most prevalent
mental health or
neurodevelopmental
disorder.
 6 Types of Emotional Disturbance
The prevalence of
bipolar disorder across
the world varies from
0.3 to 1.2 percent by
2. Bipolar disorder country. Globally, an
estimated 46 million
people in the world had
bipolar disorder in
2017, with 52 and 48
percent being female
and male, respectively.
 6 Types of Emotional Disturbance

Current data indicates

that the prevalence of
conduct disorder is 2–5%
in children between 5–12
3. Conduct disorder years and 5–9% in
adolescents between 13–
18 years [5]. Most studies
show that boys are more
likely to present with
symptoms of conduct
disorder than girls.
6 Types of Emotional Disturbance

Eating disorders affect

4. Eating disorder at least 9% of the
population worldwide.
 6 Types of Emotional Disturbance

The worldwide
prevalence of
5. Obsessive - Compulsive obsessive-compulsive
disorder ( OCD ) disorder (OCD) is
approximately 2% of
the general population.
6 Types of Emotional Disturbance
Seventy-three primary
studies were included,
providing a total of 101
estimates of prevalence
rates of psychosis. Across
6. Psychotic disorder these studies, the pooled
median point and 12-
month prevalence for
persons was 3.89 and
4.03 per 1000
respectively; and the
median lifetime
prevalence was 7.49 per
1000.
Famous person
experienced
emotional
disturbance
Abraham Lincoln -anxiety
disorder
Mariah Carey- bipolar
disorder
Taylor swift -eating disorder
Leonardo DiCaprio- Obsessive
Compulsive Disorder OCD
Thanks ! !
!

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