Public schools stand out for their inclusive approach toward students with disabilities, in stark contrast to many charter, private, and parochial schools. This unwavering commitment ensures that every student, including those with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), receives the necessary support to thrive socially and academically.

The CDC reports that 1 in 5 children have a mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder, based on a 2009 report. That number may now be higher.

Under IDEA (2004), students must display one of the following to meet the criteria of EBD:

• an inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors,
• an inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers,
• inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under “normal” conditions,
• a general, pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression,
• a tendency to develop physical symptoms, pains, or fears associated with personal or school problems.

In many universities, special education instruction has transformed from its robust state in the 1970s and 1980s, when teacher education classes delved into individual disabilities, equipping teachers with a comprehensive understanding of students’ challenges, to a few perfunctory general education classes at best.

Research by Gilmour et al. (2022) has revealed a concerning trend. While the number of students with special needs has increased, university preparation programs have decreased preparation and certification (now called endorsement) in these areas. This shift has significant implications for the quality of education students with special needs receive, raising serious concerns about their future academic success and the future of education.

Previously, a significant focus was on teaching students with EBD. However, the current situation is concerning. The lack of quality instruction about EBD could lead to more students struggling in overcrowded general classes, highlighting the urgent need for improved teacher preparation.

Some universities no longer offer endorsement classes in this critical area. The University of Michigan, for example, used to be highly sought after for its special education programs in this area, but it no longer offers endorsement. Some universities provide EBD endorsements in graduate studies but not for bachelor’s degrees.

Other universities continue to endorse EBD, but such preparation should be more consistent for easy access. Universities might focus on disabilities in inclusion classes; sometimes, those teachers get a support teacher. Still, often they do not, and frequently, they teach large classes, especially in high school.

Artiles (2021) also found that fewer investments in special education preparation programs, researchers, and teacher education faculty lead to fewer well-prepared special education teachers.

With a teacher shortage and fast-track teacher programs, it’s also anyone’s guess what training teachers get. Even if teachers are well-prepared in their academic area or as early childhood teachers, students with EBD can present a formidable challenge.

Due to the heavy focus on inclusion, teachers teaching EBD classes also feel the heat. In a recent study, many teachers teaching in this area were unqualified, burned out, and likely to leave the classroom (O’Brien et al., 2019).

There is concern that full inclusion has made whatever EBD self-contained classes are left more challenging environments for special education teachers, creating burnout (Garwood,et al., 2024). General education teachers without the support of an EBD-prepared special education co-teacher may also experience stress.

Questions also surround whether EBD students get the services they need in an inclusion class and whether they drop out of school more often (U.S. Department of Education et al., 2022b)

Many schools are turning to online programs for instruction. Screens can quickly become a way for teachers to accommodate large classes. So, what happens to students who have mental health issues? How do teachers know when students are emotionally troubled?

Teachers must have opportunities to study various psychology, sociology, and child development classes and behavioral and humanistic methods to understand EBD students and how children act at their age and development. They need to acknowledge the wide range of observational assessments that can help them identify problems students may be facing (Webber & Plotts 1986, p. 56-85).

While inclusion is the least restrictive environment, students with EBD can make educational progress in individualized and smaller group settings versus general classrooms.

Most of all, parents need options, to get their children with EBD the help they need. Every school district should include a team of professionals enough school psychologists, counselors, and  general and special education teachers who work with parents, in a timely fashion, to find the right placement which could include:

Least restrictive environment option (LRE). Students obtain outside support from the special education EBD specialist, school psychologist, counselor, and social worker for their behavior but remain in an inclusive general education class. Their behavior is monitored closely with an IEP.

Resource or Self-contained class. In a special class, for an hour or two during the day, or all day, the student gets smaller groups and individualized attention, with behavioral monitoring and assistance. They’re able to attend some general classes, with the goal of moving them to LRE.

District EBD school. Every school district should have a district day school for students with more serious EBD where they get assistance from school psychologists, counselors, and social workers. The goal should be to move students to the self-contained classroom.

Residential Center and School. Residential schools work with children whose EBD is more serious, and where it would be beneficial if they stepped away from the family. The family would also receive counseling.

In all the above scenarios, students should get staff qualified in their perspective areas to work with students with EBD. That means teachers who have studied psychology, child development, emotional and behavioral disorders, and behavioral specialists, and every university teacher education program should bring back the specialist EBD program if it no longer exists.

References

Gilmour, A. F., Nguyen, T. D., Redding, C., & Bettini, E. (2022). The Shifting Context of Special Education Teachers’ Work. Remedial and Special Education, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325221113016

Artiles, A. J. (2021). The future of special education: Emerging visions on the preparation of leaders. Stanford Graduate School of Education, Equity Alliance. https://equityalliance.stanford.edu/content/future-special-education-emerging-visions-preparation-leaders

O’Brien, K. M., Brunsting, N. C., Bettini, E., Cumming, M. M., Ragunathan, M., & Sutton, R. (2019). Special Educators’ Working Conditions in Self-Contained Settings for Students with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders: A Descriptive Analysis. Exceptional Children, 86(1), 40–57. https://doi.org/10.1177/0014402919868946

Garwood, J. D., Brunsting, N. C., & McKenna, J. W. (2024). Is full inclusion lessening self-contained teachers’ feeling of personal accomplishment? Cogent Education, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2387512

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Office of Special Education Programs. (2022b). 43rd Annual report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2021.

Webber, J. & Plotts, C. A. (1986). Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: Theory and Practice. Boston, MA: Pearson.