Emotional or Behavioral Disorder
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Emotional conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, substance addictions, bipolar disorder, panic or phobic anxieties, and sleep disorders may have their bases in a brain dysfunction. Structural, chemical, or metabolic abnormalities in the brain may give rise to symptoms of one or more of these problems. Usually, if an emotional disorder is caused primarily by a brain problem, neuropsychological (cognitive) symptoms (e.g., memory, language, and thinking problems) will be present. Neuropsychological examination is a key diagnostic procedure to differentiate brain-based emotional problems from other sources of emotional symptoms.
The key purpose of a neuropsychological screening examination is to make an initial differential diagnosis to clarify the direction of further diagnostic study and, ultimately, treatment.
The American Psychological Association provides information and links related to a variety of emotional and mental health problems.
The University of Kansas Behavioral and Emotional Disturbance Resources page can lead you to additional, targeted information.
Internet Mental Health provides more information on emotional disorders.
Emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) is a broad category which is used commonly in educational settings, to group a range of more specific perceived difficulties of children and adolescents. Both general definitions as well as concrete diagnosis of EBD may be controversial as the observed behavior may depend on many factors.
Often EBD students may have other disabilities such as: PDD, autism, Rett syndrome, PDD-NOS, Asperger syndrome and ADHD.
Strategies for students classified with EBD
1. Routine: Provide a structured routine with visual time clock. Auditory sound cues may be helpful in addition to visual cues to help students manage their time efficiently. Post schedule and refer to schedule on regular basis. Routines may take 6-8 weeks to establish or even more for this population of students.
2. Changes in Routine: Convey any changes of routine to students as soon as available. The sooner students are aware of changes the more time students have to adjust to the new routine.
3. Classroom Jobs Chart/Classroom Order Chart: Classroom jobs offer an opportunity for student to show responsibility. In order to ensure success, make sure students have an opportunity to experience every job. One suggestion is having a chart with each students name and according job. Every week rotate the jobs. The list can double as the order in which students line up or choose preferred activities. Students with EBD classification tend to be competitive and need specific procedures informing the order students line up and choose activities.
4. Logical Consequences: Students must fix what they break. If a student pushes over a desk, he or she must pick it up. If a student runs in the hall, she must practice walking the correct way. If the student talks during the lesson, student must make up the work on his time. Be consistent with consequences so students know what is expected of them.
5. Target Behaviors: After taking data on students observable behavior, determine which behavior or behaviors to direct attention. Work with student to develop a plan to replace undesirable behavior with a more suitable behavior. If student throws desks and pencils when angry, have student work on communicating anger to an adult or trusted peer and how to be assertive without being aggressive.
6. Small Flexible Grouping: Students with EBD may have difficulty establishing relationships with peers. Abusive language and other behaviors may interfere with learning. Smaller groups decrease distractions and student-to-teacher ratio. Differentiation of instruction is more manageable with smaller groups.
7. Audience: During a serious behavior episode, the most effective strategy may be to remove the audience. The audience typically is other peers but may be other adults. The audience can be removed by moving the student if he or she is willing. However, moving the audience may be necessary in some cases. Develop a procedure with your class which will function as an "everybody out" drill. Behaviors amplified with an audience may be reduced or complete stopped when an audience is removed.
8. Calm spot: Have a designated area of the classroom for students to calm down. This spot can be used pro actively to prevent behaviors. Alternatively, the spot may be used after a behavior occurs to give the student a chance to refocus.
9. Choices: Students may frustrate easily when doing work. Giving students an option of when to complete the work is a powerful tool. For example, a teacher may say, "You need to get this done today. Would you rather do it now or during your free time?"
What is an Emotional or Behavioral Disorder?
Although childhood is generally regarded as a
carefree time of life, many children and adoles-
cents experience emotional diffi culties growing
up. Identifying an emotional or behavioral dis-
order is diffi cult for many reasons. For instance,
it cannot be stated with certainty that something
"goes wrong" in the brain, causing a child to act
in a particular way. Contrary to early psychi-
atric theories, it is impossible to conclude that
a mother or father did something wrong early
in a child's life, causing an emotional or behav-
ioral disorder. Th e question of who or what is
responsible for a child's problems has given way
to an understanding that the combinations of
factors aff ecting development biological, en-
vironmental, psychological - are almost limit-
less.
Children's behaviors exist on a continuum, and
there is no specifi c line that separates troubling
behavior from a serious emotional problem.
Rather, a problem can range from mild to seri-
ous. A child is said to have a specifi c "diagnosis"
or "disorder" when his or her behaviors occur
frequently and are severe. A diagnosis repre-
sents a "best guess" based on a child's behaviors
that he or she has a specifi c mental health dis-
order and not just a problem that all children
might have from time to time. Research on the
cause of emotional disorders has shown that the
way the brain receives and processes informa-
tion is diff erent for children with some types of
disorders than for those who do not have those
problems. However, this is not true for all chil-
dren with emotional disorders.
Th ere have been many recent advances in un-
derstanding the emotional problems of chil-
dren and adolescents. As technologies are de-
veloped to study the central nervous system
and the relationships between brain chemistry
and behavior, the research is providing new
understanding of how and why some children
develop emotional disorders. Still interviews
with the child, parents or other family mem-
bers remain one of the most important sources
of information to help professionals arrive at a
diagnosis.
A diagnosis of a mental health disorder will be
based on one of several classifi cation systems
used in the United States. Th e most familiar
system is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Revised. Th e
DSM-IVR contains descriptions of specifi c be-
havioral characteristics that are used to deter-
mine whether a child or adult has an emotional
or mental disorder. Th e criteria that establishes
the presence of a mental health disorder are
subject to interpretation that may vary from
professional to professional. Cultural and sub-
jective criteria such as race, socioeconomic sta-
tus, or the behaviors of the child's parents at the
time of evaluation have an eff ect on professional
opinion, as does the training of the professional
and his or her years of experience.
A DSM-IVR diagnosis serves several purposes.
First, it may establish the presence of a specifi c
mental health problem which has an accepted
treatment standard, such as the use of medica-
tion in treating depression. Second, a formal di-
agnosis may be required for insurance or Med-
icaid reimbursement. A diagnosis for a child
may mean that insurance may cover the costs
of services the child needs but would not be eli-
gible for without the diagnosis.
Parents should bring up issues they believe may
infl uence their child's diagnosis during the eval-
uation. Th ese infl uences must be considered by
the evaluator in making a diagnosis. Generally,
determining whether a child has a biological-
ly based mental illness, a behavioral problem
or an emotional disorder is not as important
to a family as determining what interventions
are the most useful to help support their child.
What an evaluation should yield, regardless of
whether a child's problems result in a diagnosed
disorder or something less defi nitive, is a set of
disorder
disorder
recommendations for how to support him or
her in developing necessary skills.
Th e question about whether a child needs help
should not depend on whether he or she has a
diagnosis. A problem does not disappear sim-
ply because it is not severe enough to meet the
criteria for a diagnosis. Parents should insist on a list of specific
written recommendations for how to help their child as a result
of any evaluation.
The DSM IVR, for instance, lists eighteen separate characteris-
tics of behavior attributed to attention deficit hyperactivity dis-
order (ADHD). If a child shows six signs of inattention or six
signs of hyperactivity and impulsivity, he or she may be given a
clinical diagnosis of ADHD. This means that the mental health
professional working with the child believes that the child has
a medically-based problem and may recommend a specific
therapy, such as medication. But the characteristics by which
ADHD is diagnosed are also open to interpretation. What does
it mean to say that a child is “often distracted by extraneous
stimuli?” How often is often? What does distracted by mean?
And what happens to the child who shows only five signs of in-
attention and therefore does not have ADHD, but is still failing
in school and is unable to stay focused on his or her work?
Different professionals view emotional and behavioral dis-
orders in different ways. Their outlook—and their treatment
plan—is usually shaped by their training, their experience,
and their philosophy about the origins of a child’s problems.
Though the philosophical orientation or direction may not
seem important to parents who are frantically seeking a way to
locate help for their child, it is still recommended that parents
discuss such beliefs with professionals they contact. Since the
treatment program for a child will stem from the professional’s
philosophy, parents should be sure they agree with “where the
professional is coming from,” as well as with the methods used
by the professional to help their child. Otherwise, their coop-
eration in the treatment process may be compromised. When
seeking a treatment program for a child, parents may also want
to seek a second opinion if they disagree with the approach
suggested by the first mental health professional.
The following examples of emotional and behavioral disorders
are from the DSM-IVR diagnostic criteria. This list is not com-
prehensive, but is included to give parents examples of emo-
tional disorders affecting children and youth.
Adjustment Disorders describe emotional or behavioral
symptoms that children may exhibit when they are un- able,
for a time, to appropriately adapt to stressful events or changes
in their lives. The symptoms, which must occur within three
months of a stressful event or change, and last no more than six
months after the stressor ends, are: marked distress, in excess
of what would be expected from exposure to the event(s), or
an impairment in social or school functioning. There are many
kinds of behaviors associated with different types of adjustment
disorders, ranging from fear or anxiety to truancy, vandalism,
or fighting. Adjustment disorders are relatively common, rang-
ing from 5% to 20%.
Anxiety Disorders are a large family of disorders (school pho-
bia, posttraumatic stress disorder, avoidant disorder, obsessive-
compulsive disorder, panic disorder, panic attack, etc.) where
the main feature is exaggerated anxiety. Anxiety disorders may
be expressed as physical symptoms, (headaches or stomach
aches), as disorders in conduct (work refusal, etc.) or as in-
appropriate emotional responses, such as giggling or crying.
Anxiety occurs in all children as a temporary reaction to stress-
ful experiences at home or in school When anxiety is intense
and persistent, interfering with the child’s functioning, it may
become deemed as an Anxiety Disorder.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) which occurs at a
rate of 2.5%, means a child has recurrent and persistent ob-
sessions or compulsions that are time consuming or cause
marked distress or significant impairment. Obsessions are
persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are intrusive and
inappropriate (repeated doubts, requirements to have things
in a specific order, aggressive impulses, etc.). Compulsions are
repeated behaviors or mental acts (hand washing, checking,
praying, counting, repeating words silently, etc.) that have the
intent of reducing stress or anxiety. Many children with OCD
may know that their behaviors are extreme or unnecessary, but
are so driven to complete their routines that they are unable to
stop.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can develop fol-
lowing exposure to an extremely traumatic event or series of
events in a child’s life, or witnessing or learning about a death
or injury to someone close to the child. The symptoms must
occur within one month after exposure to the stressful event.
Responses in children include intense fear, helplessness, dif-
ficulty falling asleep, nightmares, persistent re-experiencing
of the event, numbing of general responsiveness, or increased
arousal. Young children with PTSD may repeat their experi-
ence in daily play activities, or may lose recently acquired skills,
such as toilet training or expressive language skills.
Selective Mutism (formerly called Elective-Mutism) occurs
when a child or adolescent persistently fails to speak in specific
social situations such as at school or with playmates, where
speaking is expected. Selective mutism interferes with a child’s
educational achievement and social communication. Onset of
Selective Mutism usually occurs before the age of five, but may
not be evaluated until a child enters school for the first time.
The disorder is regarded as relatively rare, and usually lasts for
a period of a few months, although a few children have been
known not to speak in school during their entire school ca-
reer.
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is a condition, af-
fecting 3%-5% of children, where the child shows symptoms
of inattention that are not consistent with his or her develop-
mental level. The essential feature of Attention Deficit Hyper-
activity Disorder is “a persistent pattern of inattention and/or
hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequent and severe than
is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of de-
velopment.” A few doctors have written articles on ADHD in
early childhood, and some suggest that signs of the disorder
can be detected in infancy. Most physicians prefer to wait un-
til a clear pattern of inattentive behaviors emerge that affect
school or home performance before attempting to diagnose
ADHD. Medications, such as Ritalin or Dexedrine, or a combi-
nation of these and other medicines have been very successful
in treating ADHD.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder. The central feature of oppo-
sitional defiant disorder (ODD), which occurs at rates of 2 to
16%, is “a recurrent pattern of negativistic, defiant, disobedient
and hostile behaviors towards authority figures, lasting for at
least six months …” The disruptive behaviors of a child or ado-
lescent with ODD are of a less severe nature than those with
Conduct Disorder, and typically do not include aggression to-
ward people or animals, destruction of property, or a pattern of
theft or deceit. Typical behaviors include arguing with adults,
defying or refusing to follow adult directions, deliberately an-
noying people, blaming others, or being spiteful or vindictive.
Conduct Disorder, which affects between 6% and 16% of boys
and 2% to 9% of girls, has as the essential feature “a repetitive
and persistent. pattern of behavior in which the basic rights
of others or major age-appropriate social norms or rules are
violated.” Children with Conduct Disorder often have a pat-
tern of staying out late de- spite parental objections, running
away from home, or being truant from school. Children with
Conduct Disorder may bully or threaten others or may be
physically cruel to animal and people. Conduct Disorder is of-
ten associated with an early onset of sexual behavior, drinking,
smoking, and reckless and risk-taking acts.
Anorexia Nervosa can be thought of as a “distorted body im-
age” disorder, since many adolescents who have Anorexia see
themselves as overweight and unattractive. In Anorexia Ner-
vosa, the individual refuses to maintain a minimally normal
body weight, is intensely afraid of gaining weight, and has no
realistic idea of the shape and size of his or her body. Signs
of anorexia nervosa include extremely low body weight, dry
skin, hair loss, depressive symptoms, constipation, low blood
pressure, and bizarre behaviors, such as hiding food or binge
eating.
Bulimia Nervosa is characterized by episodes of “binge and
purge” behaviors, where the person will eat enormous amounts
of food, then induce vomiting, abuse laxatives, fast, or follow
an austere diet to balance the effects of dramatic overeating.
Essential features are binge eating and compensatory methods
to prevent weight gain. Bulimia Nervosa symptoms include the
loss of menstruation, fatigue or muscle weakness, gastrointesti-
nal problems or intolerance of cold weather. Depressive symp-
toms may follow a binge and purge episode.
Bipolar Disorder (Manic Depressive Disorder)has symptoms
that include an alternating pattern of emotional highs and
emotional lows or depression. The essential feature of Bipolar
1 Disorder is “a clinical course that is characterized by the
occurrence of one or more Manic Episodes (a distinct period
during which there is an abnormally and persistently elevated,
expansive or irritable mood), or Mixed Episodes (a period of
time lasting at least one week in which the criteria are met
both for a Manic Episode and a Depressive Episode nearly
every day).” There are six different types of Bipolar 1 Disorder,
reflecting variations in manic and depressive symptoms.
Major Depressive Disorder occurs when a child has a series
of two or more major depressive episodes, with at least a two-
month interval between them. Depression may be manifested
in continuing irritability or inability to get along with others,
and not just in the depressed affect. In Dysthymic Disorder,
the depressed mood must be present for more days than not
over a period of at least two years. Dysthymic Disorder and
Major Depressive Disorder are differentiated based on severity,
chronicity, and persistence. Usually, Major Depressive Disorder
can be distinguished from the person’s usual functioning,
whereas Dysthymic Disorder is characterized by chronic, less
severe depressive symptoms that have been present for many
years.
Autistic Disorder is a Pervasive Developmental Disorder,
characterized by the presence of markedly abnormal or impaired
development in social interaction and communication, and a
markedly restricted level of activities or interests. Children with
Autism may fail to develop relationships with peers of the same
age, and may have no interest in establishing friendships. The
impairment in communication (both verbal and nonverbal) is
severe for some children with this disorder.
Schizophrenia is a serious emotional disorder characterized
by loss of contact with environment and personality changes.
Hallucinations and delusions, disorganized speech, or catatonic
behavior often exist as symptoms of this disorder, which is
frequently manifest in young adulthood. The symptoms may
also occur in younger children. There are a number of subtypes
of schizophrenia, including Paranoid Type, Disorganized Type,
Catatonic Type, Residual Type, and Undifferentiated Type. The
lifetime prevalence of Schizophrenia is estimated at between
0.5% and 1%.
Tourette’s Disorder occurs in approximately 4-5 individuals
per 10,000. The disorder includes both multiple motor tics and
one or more vocal tics, which occur many times per day, nearly
every day, or intermittently throughout a period of more than
one year. During this period, there is never a tic-free period of
more than 3 consecutive months. Chronic Motor or Vocal Tic
Disorder includes either motor ties or vocal tics, but not both
as in Tourette’s Disorder. Transient Tic Disorder includes either
single or multiple motor tics many times a day for at least four
weeks, but for no longer than 12 months. This can occur as
either a single episode or as recurrent episodes over time.
Seriously Emotionally Disturbed, or SED, is not a DSM-IVR
medical diagnosis, but a label that public schools may use
when children, due to their behaviors, are in need of special
education services. School professionals may or may not use
diagnostic classification systems as part of this determination.
The school’s responsibility is to provide services for students
with emotional or behavioral disorders or mental illnesses un-
der the special education category of SED (many states have
chosen to use a “different” label such as Emotional or Behav-
ioral Disorder (EBD), to describe this special education service
category), when their emotional or behavioral problems are so
severe that they cannot succeed without help.
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