For many years, the field has struggled to provide effective supports and interventions for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs). Rarely are EBDs identified and treated early. Additionally, students with EBDs who require intensive supports often have a myriad of needs, which can be difficult to address. Thus, the long-term…

There is a very substantial literature over the past 50 years on the advantages of early detection and intervention on the cognitive, communicative, and social-emotional development of infants and toddlers at risk for developmental delay due to premature birth or social disadvantage. Most of these studies excluded children with severe delays or…

Volumes 22 and 23 of "Advances in Special Education" address the current top perspectives and issues in the field of EBD by providing chapters written by active researchers and scholarly university professors who specialize in this area. Volume 22 first delineates legal issues, themes, and dimensions related to the historical development…

Problems in early identification of children with emotional or behavioral disorders in current systems of care are discussed along with current methods for early screening. Use of early detection and ongoing assessment of response as a basis for more focused intervention is suggested. Primary and secondary prevention issues are also discussed.…

A study examined the records of 99 non-adjudicated students with severe emotional and/or behavior disorders (EBD), 49 of whom were placed in regular schools and 50 who were in segregated schools. Results indicated that students served in regular schools were identified as severely behaviorally disordered at an earlier age. (CR)

This report discusses the outcomes of a study that investigated the effectiveness of the Preschool and Early Childhood Functional Assessment Scale (PECFAS) Screener, an assessment designed to assist in the early identification of mental health concerns in preschool-aged children. Formed in 1993, the Putting All Communities Together 4 Families…

This introductory article discusses the large numbers of infants and young children affected by behavioral and emotional problems that pose salient challenges for clinical assessment and management. It examines barriers to the delivery of mental health services and stresses the need to develop data concerning efficacy and effectiveness of…

This paper discusses the first year results of a screening procedure used to identify 92 kindergarten and first grade children who were at risk of developing serious emotional disturbance (SED), and presents additional data on the predictive validity of the screening procedure one year later. The Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders (SSBD)…

This manual describes the rationale, use, and validity of the Temperament and Atypical Behavior Scale (TABS), a norm-referenced measure of dysfunctional behavior appropriately used with infants and young children between the ages of 11 and 71 months. TABS is intended to identify children who are developing atypically or are at risk for atypical…

Different measures of symptoms and functional impairments were obtained on 285 Head Start children to identify emotional/behavioral disorders. These included six instruments completed by teachers and two completed by parents. Identification of children considered at risk ranged from a low of 1% to a high of 34%. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

This article reviews the clinical literature regarding self-injurious behavior in infants and young children with particular emphasis on the developmental aspects of the behavior. It also discusses ways that the behavior is identified, methods of clinical assessment, and appropriate clinical interventions. The final section addresses unmet…

Special education is now an established part of public education in the United States--by law and by custom. However, it is still widely misunderstood and continues to be dogged by controversies related to such things as categorization, grouping, assessment, placement, funding, instruction, and a variety of legal issues. The purpose of this…