Emotional and behavioral disorders are usually described according to which two dimensions:

"Emotional and Behavioral Disorder" is an umbrella term under which several distinct diagnoses (such as Anxiety Disorder, Manic-Depressive Disorder, Oppositional-Defiant Disorder, and more) fall. These disorders are also termed "emotional disturbance" and "emotionally challenged." According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), children with emotional and behavioral disorders exhibit one or more of these five characteristics:

1. An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors.
2. An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.
3. Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances.
4. A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.
5. A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.

IDEA guarantees students access to a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) possible. As such, students diagnosed with emotional disorders (ED) are often included in general education classrooms. However, severe cases often require students to be taught in special education "cluster units," self-contained programs, or even separate schools.

Under the umbrella term of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, there are two categories: Psychiatric Disorders and Behavioral Disabilities.

Psychiatric Disorders

This category encompasses a wide range of conditions. Psychiatric disorders are defined as mental, behavioral, or perceptual patterns or anomalies which impair daily functioning and cause distress. Some of the most common examples of these diagnoses include:

• Anxiety Disorder
• Bipolar Disorder (aka Manic-Depressive Disorder)
• Eating Disorder (such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating disorder)
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Psychotic Disorder

From a teacher's perspective, psychiatric disorders present a profound challenge for a number of reasons. For one, schools are not hospitals, and teachers can not be expected to "treat" these disorders. Students who struggle with these sorts of challenges are often undergoing treatment and may be receiving medication. Medication can affect people in unexpected ways and, because medical information is confidential, teachers may be unaware why students are acting the way they are. This makes it difficult to respond appropriately to certain behaviors. Additionally, students suffering from these conditions may be simply unable to meet academic and behavioral expectations. In such cases, students need to receive special education interventions of some sort, and may need to be moved into a special education classroom.

Behavioral Disabilities

Children with behavioral disabilities engage in conduct which is disruptive to classroom functioning and/or harmful to themselves and others. To be diagnosed as a behavioral disability, the behaviors must not be attributable to one of the aforementioned psychiatric disorders.

There are two categories of behavioral disabilities: oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder.

Oppositional defiant disorder is characterized by extreme non-compliance, negativity, and an unwillingness to cooperate or follow directions. Children with this condition are not violent or aggressive, they simply refuse to cooperate with adults or peers.

Conduct disorder is much more severe. This disorder is characterized by aggression, violence, and harm inflicted on self and others. Students with conduct disorder typically need to be taught in special education classrooms until their behavior has improved enough to allow contact with the general education population.

Strategies for Teaching Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

As with other conditions, students with emotional and behavioral disorders need a positive, structured environment which supports growth, fosters self-esteem, and rewards desirable behavior.

Rules and Routines

Rules need to be established at the beginning of the school year, and must be written in such a way as to be simple and understandable. The wording of rules should be positive: "Respect yourself and others" is a better rule than "Don't hurt anyone." Keep it simple: 6 rules or less.

Consequences for breaking rules should also be established at the beginning of the school year, and applied consistently and firmly whenever the rules are broken. The consequences must be consistent and predictable. When administering consequences, provide feedback to the student in a calm, clear manner. That way, the student understands why the consequence is necessary. Try to avoid becoming emotionally reactive when rules are broken. Emotional reactivity gives the student negative attention, which many children find very rewarding. Remain calm and detached, be firm yet kind. It's a difficult balance to achieve, but crucially important for positive results.

Routines are very important for classroom management. Students with emotional and behavioral disorders tend to struggle with transitions and unexpected change. Going over a visual schedule of the day's activities is an effective way to start the day, and helps the students feel grounded.

Techniques for Supporting Positive Behavior

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders often need to receive instruction in a special education setting because their behavior is too maladaptive for a general education classroom. Here are a few ideas to guide and support growth towards more positive, adaptive behavior:

• Token Economy - Students earn points, or tokens, for every instance of positive behavior. These tokens can then be used to purchase rewards at the token store. In order for a token economy to be effective, positive behavior must be rewarded consistently, and items in the token store must be genuinely motivating for the student. This takes a fair amount of preparation and organization, but has proven to be quite effective.
• Classroom Behavior Chart - A chart which visually plots the level of behavior of every student in the classroom. Students who are behaving positively progress upwards on the chart; those who are behaving negatively fall downwards. This makes every student accountable, and helps you monitor and reward progress. This won't work if difficult students perpetually stay on the bottom of the chart. Focus on the positive to the fullest degree possible, and keep them motivated.
• Lottery System - Similar to the token economy, students who behave in positive ways are given a ticket with their name on it. These tickets are placed in a jar, and once or twice a week you draw one out. The winner of the lottery is rewarded with a prize.
• Positive Peer Review - Students are asked to watch their peers, and identify positive behavior. Both the student who is behaving positively and the student who does the identifying are rewarded. This is the exact opposite of "tattle-telling," and fosters a sense of teamwork and social support in the classroom.

Teaching children with emotional and behavioral disorders can be extremely challenging. Remember: fostering and rewarding positive behavior has proven to be vastly more effective than attempting to eliminate negative behavior. Punishment and negative consequences tend to lead to power struggles, which only make the problem behaviors worse. It is not easy to remain positive in the face of such emotionally trying behaviors, but don't give up. Your influence could mean a world of difference to these students who are struggling with an incredibly difficult condition.

How are emotional and behavior disorders defined?

• As defined by IDEA 2004, "The term emotional disturbance means 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 student's educational performance:
• (A) An inability to learn which 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 person or school problems. 
• The term includes children who are schizophrenic. The term does not include students who are socially maladjusted, unless it is determined that they have an emotional disturbance."

• "The term "emotional or behavioral disorder" means a disability that is: characterized by behavioral or emotional responses in school programs so difference from appropriate age, cultural, or ethnic norms that the responses adversely affect educational performance, including academic, social, vocational, or professional skills; more than a temporary, expected response to stressful events in the environment; consistently exhibited in two different settings, at least one of which is school-related; and unresponsive to direct intervention applied in general education, or the condition of a child is such that general education interventions would be insufficient.

• Externalizing Behaviors
• The three most common external behaviors seen from students with an EBD are extreme aggression, rule breaking, and noncompliance
• These behaviors are easily identified because of their sometimes violet nature and are often considered rude in all circumstances.

• Internalizing Behaviors
• The three most common internal behaviors are social withdrawal, anxiety disorders, and depression.
• These can be identified easily but can also be hidden from those around the student. Often these internal behaviors manifest into the visible external behaviors that we identify in students with an EBD.

• Social Withdrawal
• Students who are withdrawn share three common traits
• They spend an excessive amount of time in solitary play
• Infrequent positive social interactions with peers
• Low rates of verbalization
• They also often exhibit signs of anxiety
• Anxiety comes in various types such as general anxiety, separation anxiety, social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or post-traumatic stress.  
• They can create a hinderance on a child's ability to focus and comprehend in a learning environment
• Depression is another trait of social withdrawal
• Although all people go through periods of depression in their life, these are more pronounced for students with an EBD.

• Other Behaviors
• It is not uncommon for student with an EBD to also show signs of ADHD. They are likely to exhibit attention deficits in the learning environment
• It is also common for them to show signs of problems with social skills. Due to the nature of the EBD, student are withdrawn socially and don't enjoy interacting with peers. This causes a development delay in social skills.

• Cognitive and Learning Characteristics
• The above characteristics not only create challenges for the student in their life and social interactions, but in the education environment too. The common behavior exhibited by students with EBD conflict with the behaviors associated with learning. 

• Students with an EBD account for less than 1% of the student population. In terms of numbers, there are approximately 458,000 students with an EBD and those represent 7.6% of all students with a disability.
• Causes
• There is no one single event that leads to the creation of all of the above characteristics. Therefore it is challenging to pinpoint any one cause for a child developing an EBD. The following are a list of possible factors that contribute to an emotional or behavior disorder.
• Biophysical Influences
• There is research that shows that a brain injury or brain abnormalities alters the functions of specific parts of the brain that control things like depression, anxiety, and aggression. 
• Psychodynamic Influences
• Some children with EBD show signs of an underdeveloped or deficient internal structure making them unable to control their impulses. This can be a large factor in the extreme escalation of aggression seen from students with EBD.
• Familial and Home Influences
• Although family and home structures aren't a direct cause, they can facilitate the progression of a emotional and behavior disorder. Single parent households and adoptive households don't always provide enough structure for children who show signs of a developing EBD. 
• Societal/Environmental Influences and School Influences
• There is some speculation that society and schools can contribute to the manifestation of an EBD. This is because our society in some aspects encouraged violence and violent, disruptive behaviors. Overcrowding in both society and in schools can manifest as anxiety, depression, and aggression, which make up three of the main characteristics of an EBD. 

• Identification
• The identification process begins with the screening of a student. This is often done by the teacher who spends the majority of time with the student. They document observed behaviors and incidents that happen within the learning environment. 
• If an identified student goes through the screening process, they are then subjected to a more rigorous evaluation procedure. These evaluations assess both behavior and personality

• Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA)
• Once a EBD has been identified, the most important second step is to determine what instructional and behavioral planning is necessary to help the student be successful in their education. This is done through the development of a FBA.
• FBA identifies target behaviors and determine strategies to correct and implement positive behaviors. They are a supplement to the Individual Education Plan associated with Special Education services.

• Service Delivery
• Students with an EBD are educated in a restrictive educational setting more than any other disability. This is because they often need individualized education, implemented on a one-on-one basis. 
• Although social interaction is necessary for students to develop adequate social skills, it is important that students be able to interact in a positive manner. It is necessary to ensure the safety of all students in a classroom. Therefore some students with a severe EBD need time to develop social skills in a more isolated educational environment.
• Early Intervention
• The early an EBD can be identified, the better. It is almost unanimously agreed upon that intervention at the early stages of an EBD can make a significant difference in the education of the student. Research shows that characteristics of EBD only escalate with time and become more and more challenging to work with. Therefore, if interventions can occur at an early age, parents and educators together might be able to counter EBD characteristics to help the student cope with the disorder.
• Academic and Social/Behavioral Interventions
• Too often, educators don't focus on the academic characteristics of an EBD. This is due to the nature of the characteristics and how they present themselves in most scenarios. Interventions and FBAs should focus not only on behavior intervention but academic as well. It is not only a goal to help the student be successful socially, but academically as well.
• It is important to focus on self-control with students with EBD and to try to develop self-regulatory skills so that students can monitor their own behavior and try to keep emotions in check. This can also help student to recognize signs or triggers in their life to help minimize outbursts and disruptions.

• Altering Antecedents:
• Sometimes you can minimize challenges for a student with an EBD by altering the way you deliver directions through altering the antecedents. This can be done through precision requests and behavior momentum.
• "Precision requests involve delivering directives in a format that (a) is predictable for students, (b) incorporates consequences (reinforcement for compliance and punishment for noncompliance), and (c) provides opportunity for the child to comply (wait time."
• "Behavior Momentum involves the teacher delivering a set of high-probability directives (i.e. those that student are likely to engage in or comply with) befroe delivering the low-probabilty directive." (Landrum, Tankersley, & Kauffman, 2003)

• Altering Consequences
• It is important to understand that there are four types of punishment:
• those that rely on reinforcement strategies
• extinction
• removable of desirable stimuli
• presentation of aversive stimuli
• Because no case of EBD is the same, it is important to understand which punishments lead to what results with students with EBD. Knowing this will allow a teacher to design consequences to benefit the overall progress of a student.

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