For over 40 years, the special education category "Emotional Disturbance" (ED) has elicited considerable confusion and controversy for educators. Perhaps most notably, the federal ED definition has been assailed for its inclusion of vague, construct-laden terminology, coupled with a general lack of clarity or guidance. In this article,…

Richard Simpson is professor of special education at the University of Kansas (KU). Dr. Simpson's duties at KU have included roles of staff psychologist, teaching associate, assistant professor, project director, associate professor, professor, and chairperson for the Department of Special Education. He has directed numerous University of Kansas…

Before the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act in 1975, only one child with disabilities in five attended a public school, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Many states' policies explicitly excluded children with certain types of disabilities from their traditional schools, including children who were blind,…

Although increased attention in special education has been given to individual transition planning, little research has been done to assess student opinions and knowledge on this process. The majority of research has focused on "best practice" to ensure quality transition planning for students. This study surveyed 103 students receiving…

The author suggests that P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, is likely to result in suppression rather than expansion of services to mildly disturbed students because of problems in the definition of emotional disturbance and the requirement of service for all children identified. (Author/CL)

Creation of biases and stereotypes has led to individual and institutional discrimination of students who are emotionally and behaviorally disturbed (EBD). The lack of supports and under utilized research based techniques by educational staff has major implications on the success of students with EBD in various settings. Providing appropriate…

Shortcomings of the "Seriously Emotionally Disturbed" (S.E.D.) criteria set forth in Public Law 94-142 are discussed and the possibility of integrating other classification methods, specifically those in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition (DSM III), is raised and critiqued. Findings of a study…

Examples of three emotionally disturbed children whose behavior deteriorated in regular class placements are cited to support the author's contention that the least restrictive environment principle may err in the direction of underserving and underprotecting handicapped children. Also questioned is the violation of individual differences by…

The authors suggest that by regulatory exclusion inherent in P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, some students with behavior disorders may not receive adequate education. (CL)

The author argues that a simplistic insistence on equality through mainstreaming (as mandated in P L 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act) violates the rights and needs of some behaviorally disturbed children to be different. (Author)

The philosophy of mainstreaming all students must include the teacher's understanding of the nature of the student's learning problem. The teacher needs specific suggestions concerning alternative methods from which each individual can profit. (Author/MLF)

P.L. 94-142 presents unique problems to schools with special education programs. This article offers suggestions for implementing the act's objectives of individualized instruction, least restrictive environment, and equal protection for handicapped children. (Author/LD)

Professionals and researchers once suggested that about 6% or 7% of all students had serious emotional disturbance (SED). Congress thought about the cost, and then thought otherwise. As a result, Congress created a 2% solution, and then wrote the law in a way that discouraged identification of students with SED. Schools must obviously also have…

Controversy surrounding the provision of psychotherapy as a related service to emotionally disturbed students is examined. Key issues in the question, including definitional issues, economic realities and financial concerns, and the need for related services for educational vs. medical reasons, are analyzed. Interpretations on the topic by state…

The placement of learning disabled and behaviorally disordered children in the least restrictive setting requires consideration of both environmental conditions and psychological factors which contribute to the handicap. (DB)