Despite the benefits of inclusive education, students with emotional disabilities (EDs), who are disproportionately Black, male, and economically marginalized, continue to be placed in segregated education settings more than students with many other classifications (OSEP Fast Facts: Children Identified With Emotional Disturbance, 2020. Retrieved…

The role of a special educator is one of many different hats, including teacher, interventionist, comforter, parent, counselor, therapist, and administrator. These varying roles, particularly when working with students with emotional behavioral disorders, create one of the most emotionally taxing and challenging jobs in public education, which in…

African American Students with disabilities have been disproportionately represented in special education under the labels Intellectually Disabled (ID) and Emotionally Disturbed (ED) (Garwood & Carrero, 2022; Skrtic et al., 2021; Green et al., 2021; Artiles, 2019). As a result of these labels, African American students with disabilities have…

Eleven states offer 1915(c) Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Medicaid waivers to organize and fund programs that provide in-home and community support services to address the unique needs of children and youth with complex mental health concerns and their families. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic-imposed restrictions on community…

Adolescents who have been diagnosed with disabilities constitute a significant portion of the school population in the United States. For example, the National Survey of Children's Health identified one in four children ages 12 to 17 as having special healthcare needs in 2019 (Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health, n.d.). In the…

Interventions utilizing human-computer interaction (HCI) in autism rehabilitation have gained popularity, yet their efficacy has not been fully elucidated. This meta-analysis assessed 30 international studies from the past decade that employed HCIs for autism intervention. The findings revealed a moderate positive effect (g = 0.484) on improving…

We used structure equation models to examine the career intent of special education teachers serving students with emotional and behavior disorders (EBD). Known factors of special educator attrition, including race and characteristic of students served, were considered in analyzing career intent. A total of 841 special education teachers across…

Although social participation is considered a major facet of inclusion it proves to be particularly challenging for students with social, emotional or behavioural difficulties (SEBD). To avoid the latter's exclusion it is crucial to focus on possible ways of improving the school setting for such learners. Teachers are seen as key actors in…

Since adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) seem highly prevalent for students with EBD, it is important to understand how ACEs are related to their severe internalizing problems and externalizing problems. In this study, we assessed the mediating role of post traumatic stress (PTSD) symptoms and executive functioning (EF) in the potential…

People on the autism spectrum may have difficulty inferring others' emotions (cognitive empathy), but may share another's emotions (affective empathy) and exhibit heightened personal distress. The present study examined independent autistic trait dimensions (social difficulties and restricted/repetitive behaviours) and the roles alexithymia and…

We are regularly told that mental health problems are becoming more and more prevalent today, a trend exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. This way of conceiving what might rather be called people's--and particularly young people's--distress has several sources. Medical science has made spectacular progress over the last 50 years, encouraging…

There is currently limited research and a lack of consensus on emotional processing impairments among adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present pilot study sought to characterize the extent to which adults with ASD are impaired in processing emotions in both words and pictures. Ten adults with ASD rated word and picture stimuli on…

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) are frequently on the receiving end of intervention models (e.g., social skills training) in which targeted skills are modeled and practiced in unnatural arrangements (i.e., teacher-led). Special educators consistently report a need for effective interventions and instructional arrangements…

Self-advocacy skills enable active student involvement in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) planning process. However, some students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) lack appropriate self-advocacy skills and may require specific instruction in how to prepare for and participate in their own IEP. Special educators may have…

Many students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) engage in challenging behavior on a daily basis. Such behaviors can have negative impacts on students, teachers, and families. In an effort to support students with EBD, this article provides general and special education teachers with a five-step process for teaching replacement…