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IDEA defines emotional disturbance as follows:
“…a condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child’s educational performance: (A) An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors. (B) An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers. (C) Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances. (D) A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression. (E) A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.” As defined by IDEA, emotional disturbance includes schizophrenia but does not apply to children who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance. Characteristics As is evident in IDEA’s definition, emotional disturbances can affect an individual in areas beyond the emotional. Depending on the specific mental disorder involved, a person’s physical, social, or cognitive skills may also be affected. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) puts this very well: Mental illnesses are medical conditions that disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning. Just as diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas, mental illnesses are medical conditions that often result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life. Some of the characteristics and behaviors seen in children who have an emotional disturbance include:
Children with the most serious emotional disturbances may exhibit distorted thinking, excessive anxiety, bizarre motor acts, and abnormal mood swings. Many children who do not have emotional disturbance may display some of these same behaviors at various times during their development. However, when children have an emotional disturbance, these behaviors continue over long periods of time. Their behavior signals that they are not coping with their environment or peers. Fact Sheet Handout http://www.nichcy.org/wp-content/uploads/docs/fs5.pdf 10 Basic Steps in Special Education http://www.nichcy.org/schoolage/steps/ Information courtesy of http://nichcy.org/disability/specific/emotionaldisturbance#def |
Questions Often Asked by Parents about Special Education Services http://www.nichcy.org/publications/lg1 Evaluating Children for Disability http://www.nichcy.org/schoolage/evaluation/ |
Sometimes a student may need to have changes made in class work or routines
because of his or her disability. Modifications can be made to : - what a child is taught, and/or
For example: Jack is an 8th grade student who has learning disabilities in reading and writing. He is in a regular 8th grade class that is team-taught by a general education teacher and a special education teacher. Modifications and accommodations provided for Jack’s daily school routine (and when he takes state or district-wide tests) include the following:
Modifications or accommodations are most often made in the following areas: Scheduling. For example,
Setting. For example:
Materials. For example,
Instruction. For example,
Student Response. For example,
Because adapting the content, methodology, and/or delivery of instruction is an essential element in special education and an extremely valuable support for students, it’s equally essential to know as much as possible about how instruction can be adapted to address the needs of an individual student with a disability. The special education teacher who serves on the IEP team can contribute his or her expertise in this area, which is the essence of special education. Additional Resources include:
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