Emotional Disturbance

1
Emotional Disturbance The Least Restrictive
Environment

• NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS

2
Educational Placements for Students with ED

• Under IDEA, all students in special education
  must be educated in the least restrictive
  environment.
• Least Restrictive EnvironmentThe principle under
  IDEA that children in special education must be
  educated with their non disabled peers to the
  maximum extent appropriate

3
Educational Placements for Students with ED

• Where are students with ED being educated?
• General Education/Inclusion Classroom
• Resource Room
• Separate Class (self-contained class)
• Separate School
• Residential Facility
• Psychiatric Hospital
• Homebound/Hospital

4
General Education orInclusion Classroom

• Approximately 28 of all students classified with
  an emotional disturbance receive their education
  in the general education or inclusion classroom
  environment
• The exceptional student receives the same
  academic instruction as the general education
  students with individualized academic and
  behavior management services as needed

5
Resource Room

• Approximately 23 of all students classified
  with an emotional disturbance receive their
  education in a resource room.
• The exceptional student receives academic
  instruction in the general education classroom
  and the special education resource room. The
  division of time is based on the students
  individualized academic and behavioral needs

6
Special Education Classroom

• Approximately 31 of all students classified with
  an emotional disturbance receive their education
  in a special education classroom (Also referred
  to as a self-contained classroom).
• The exceptional student receives all educational
  services in the special education classroom
• Students who are placed in self-contained
  classrooms tend to have more severe and
  disruptive behaviors than students who are placed
  in resource rooms

7
Separate Special Education School

• Approximately 14 of all students classified with
  an emotional disturbance receive their education
  in a separate special education school (also
  referred to as an Alternative Day School).
• The exceptional student receives all educational
  services in a setting that is separate from the
  regular public school.
• The alternative school is specially designed for
  students who have academic and/or behavioral
  problems that are too severe or disruptive for
  the public school setting

8
Residential Treatment Facility

• Approximately 2 of all students classified with
  an emotional disturbance receive their education
  in a residential treatment facility (also
  referred to as a RTF or RTC (Residential
  Treatment Center)
• The exceptional student receives all educational
  services in a residential facility providing
  24-hour care for a time period normally ranging
  from a few months to a year or more, depending on
  the severity of the problem

9
Residential Treatment Facility

• Outdoor adventure programs are often a critical
  component of certain residential treatment
  programs
• programs attempt to teach students with ED
  thinking and decision making skills, group
  cooperation, self-reliance, and social skills
  combined with wilderness experiences.
• Although safety considerations are always
  factored in, there is a certain element of risk
  involved in some of the activities, which lends
  its appeal to students with ED, especially those
  with serious behavioral issues.

10
Psychiatric Hospital Placement

• Approximately 1 of all students classified with
  an emotional disturbance receive their education
  in a psychiatric hospital placement
• Individualized assessment, intervention, and
  medical and educational services are provided in
  a hospital setting for students with severe
  psychological and/or medical problems that cannot
  be managed on an outpatient basis

11
Homebound Instruction

• Approximately 1 of all students classified with
  an emotional disturbance receive their education
  as homebound instruction.
• Individualized educational services are provided
  in the students home when he/she is unable to
  attend school for medical, behavioral or other
  reasons

12
Final Key Point on Educational Placement

• Conclusion-Relative to other students with
  disabilities, children with emotional or
  behavioral disorders
• . are more likely to be educated outside the
  general education classroom (72 of the time, on
  average
• .and in almost half the cases, not educated in
  the general education classroom at all, e.g.,
  self-contained, alternative day school, RSF,
  hospital or homebound)

13
Educational Implications of Students with
Emotional Disturbance

• School failure is the common link among students
  with emotional and behavioral disorders.
• Regardless of intellectual potential, students
  with emotional or behavioral disorders do not
  perform well academically.

14
Educational Implications of Students with
Emotional Disturbance

• As compared to students without disabilities,
  students with emotional or behavioral disorders
  leave school at higher rates and are placed in
  more restrictive settings.
• Research suggests that approximately 50 of
  students with emotional and/or behavioral
  disorders drop out of high school