Does Depicting Emotional Behavioral Disorder and Behavioral High School Students in a Positive Role Decrease Behaviors and Increase Task Completion?

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Introduction

The areas identified by the researcher have been revised within this document, the remaining portions remains untouched.

Pioneers of EBD

Researchers believe that what is known today as “emotional behavioral disorders” or EBD have always been part of society despite the different names and/or definitions. One definition of EBD categorizes students with “disruptive and atypical” behavioral tendencies to have this disorder. In accord with other components of the definition of EBD, students suffering from this disorder may be unable or lack the capacity to form and sustain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers or teachers, may demonstrate unsuitable emotions or behaviors, and/or show a sense of displeasure or depressed state of mind (IDEA, 2004; as cited in Gulchak, 2008). The problem of EBD has acquired so much significance today because it is found in almost “1%” of school children and “8.2%” of all those students attending special education programs (Gulchak, 2008). However, statistics from NIMH (1990) indicated that the overall percentage for mental/emotional issues in children and adolescents at that during the year 2008 might have been “22%” (Gulchak, 2008). According to a study conducted by Evans (2009) the occurrence of EBD amongst children and teenagers is that there is 1 out of all 5 children/teenager who is suffering from some form of EBD.

The pioneers of yesterday gave us a window into the life of EBD/BD students. They helped us to recognize the disability and began the mission of gathering facts and data. In the early 1970's Frank H. Wood directed the Advanced Training Institute for Trainers of Teachers for Seriously Emotionally Disturbed Children (SEBD). It was under Wood's directions that major publications on theories, services, and trainings were developed to address the needs of EBD children in school. Of the six facets underlined by Wood to be addressed in EBD definitions, some were based on the role of the environment to disturbance, the “operational differentiation” between disturbers and non-disturbers, and the usefulness of the definition in the context of the specified individuals (Albrecht, 2009, p.13). Dr. Wood further played a central role in launching the Minnesota Educators of the Emotionally Disturbed and the Minnesota Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders. Dr Wood in one many of his studies pursues the fact that treating children with EBD is an ongoing process; children should be ...