Emotional Disability

According to the Arizona Revised Statutes, (ARS) §15-761(5), " ‘emotional disability’:

A. Means a condition whereby a child exhibits one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects the child’s performance in the educational environment:

• An inability to learn which 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 behavior 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.

B. Includes children who are schizophrenic but does not include children who are socially maladjusted unless they are also determined to have an emotional disability as determined by evaluation..."

How Common Are Emotional Disabilities?
In the 1997-98 school year, 5,303 students were classified as having an emotional disability and received special education services. This number represents .6671 percent of the 794,928 students enrolled in Arizona public schools as of October 1, 1997. Many of the students receive special education in the regular classroom with resource support.

What Effect Does an Emotional Disability Have on a Child?
Children with emotional disabilities (ED) generally have difficulty learning in a conventional setting. Some children with severe emotional disabilities score poorly on tests of intellectual ability. ED children are found to respond to educational models with varying degrees of success. Kauffman (1985) lists several categories of models used in teaching students with severe emotional disabilities. These include psychotherapy, therapeutic discussion, social interaction, and behavior modification.

Behavior modification is frequently seen as useful in shaping behaviors that are more acceptable to society and are prerequisites to academic learning in the classroom. This technique can be utilized to help individuals develop the ability to pay attention, follow directions, and carry through assignments. Other techniques that have been found to be useful include medical, nutritional, non-directive, or analytical approaches. Often the rehabilitation will be a combi-nation of several of these mentioned. Some Individualized Education Program teams include counseling by qualified personnel as a related service, when necessary for a child to benefit from an educational program.

While early intervention improves chances for success, tests alone are not always reliable for diagnosing emotional disturbances. Multiple measures (including observation) in multiple settings by a variety of people help in obtaining an accurate picture of the extent of the emotional problem. This variety of information also indicates situations that might trigger the unwanted behaviors and help target how they can be changed. For these reasons, it is important for the family to work closely with the school and other resources designed to treat these disabilities to coordinate educational and emotional supports necessary to benefit the child.