The authors' association goes back more than 40 years, when they were both starting doctoral studies in special education for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) at the University of Kansas. In this article, the authors provide a balanced (albeit biased) account of the good and the bad, including some of the many achievements…

The notion of what is meant by the term "crazy" is explored and certain aspects of the educational system are labeled "crazy." The confusing array of federal and state policies dealing with students with emotional disturbances is noted, and questions are posed to educators and practitioners to illustrate the need to be open to new knowledge and…

In this article, the author discusses the distinction between positive and negative reinforcement and some additional considerations. He states that the concept of negative reinforcement has caused confusion, and he believes that the difficulty stems from conventions of ordinary speech, in which the term "negative" usually denotes the opposite of…

The article presents the position of the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders regarding replacing the term "seriously emotionally disturbed" with "behaviorally disordered." The rationale for such a change is outlined and concerns about it are answered. (CL)

Stokes, Osnes, and Guevremont's (1987) implicit definition of correspondence classes is fundamentally procedural. A contingency-space analysis, on the other hand, is independent of specific procedures and focuses attention on problems inherent in some procedural definitions. It addresses the issue of distinguishing specific instances from classes.…

This introduction to a special issue on postmodernism and behavior disorders discusses problems with the definition of postmodernism, including the trend for people to label whatever they wish as postmodern, the inability to separate postmodern from the modern, and the subjectivity of defining which ideas are about "reality" or "truth." (CR)

This article considers problems in the federal definition of seriously emotionally disturbed, authority (state or federal) in determining program eligibility, the legislative history of exclusionary rules, and legal options available to those seeking access to special education for behavior-disordered students. (DB)

Notes that interpretation of Public Law 94-142, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), benefits from participation of professionals from both law and education. Considers Slenkovich's (1983) book, "PL 94-142 as applied to DSM III diagnoses." Provides background on 1991 reaction to Slenovich by article's authors and Slenovich's…

Focuses on social maladjustment exclusion in serious emotional disturbance criteria in Public Law 94-142, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Responds to earlier articles by Skiba and Grizzle in reaction to Slenovich's book, "PL 94-142 as Applied to DSM III Diagnoses" and Slenovich's response to articles. Addresses two aspects of debate…

Focuses on social maladjustment exclusion in serious emotional disturbance criteria in Public Law 94-142, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Responds to earlier articles by Skiba and Grizzle in reaction to Slenovich's book, "PL 94-142 as Applied to DSM III Diagnoses" and Slenovich's response to articles. Comments on these analyses, and…

Focuses on social maladjustment exclusion in serious emotional disturbance criteria in Public Law 94-142, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Responds to articles by Skiba and Grizzle in reaction to Slenovich's book, "PL 94-142 as Applied to DSM III Diagnoses" and Slenovich's response to articles. Assesses debate between Skiba and Grizzle…

The debate over expanding the legal definition of behavior disorders to include social maladjustment is presented; both sides of the issue are addressed including such aspects as confusion in terms, unclear incidence figures difficulty in identification, and legal and ethical ramifications. (CL)

The history of the terms "punishment" and "aversive" is traced, and the influence of inconsistent usage and negative association associated with these terms is analyzed. A conceptual framework is presented to guide the choice of an alternative terminology for behavior reduction. (Author/JDD)

This response to "Behavior Disorders: A Postmodern Perspective" (David Elkind) rejects the postmodern notion that there can be no common narratives and proposes three possible metanarratives that could be useful in thinking about behavioral disorders: democracy, spirituality, and the notions of Nick Hobbs. (CR)

The position paper discusses issues surrounding definition and identification procedures used for students with behavior disorders. Five recommendations address the need for revision of the federal definition, elimination of arbitrary exclusions, focus on sources of data collection, alternative models of service delivery, and priority needs for…