Best Practices for Students with Emotional Disturbance
Inclusion is an accepted practice in public
schools. However, research shows students with
emotional disturbance (ED) may face challenges in
the inclusion classroom that students with other
disabilities may not encounter. Inclusion teachers
may be apprehensive including students with ED in
their classroom, as behavioral outbursts may disrupt
class and interfere with the learning of others.
Disciplinary consequences may mean students with ED
fall behind academically in the classroom, causing
them danger of failing classes and dropping out of
school. This study identifies educational practices
high school students with ED and aggressive behavior
perceive as desirable educational practices in
inclusion classrooms. Through student voice,
participants express their preferences in teachers'
teaching styles and describe positive structuring of
the classroom environment. Students also identify
discipline/classroom management practices that aid
students in keeping calm, focused, and on-task in
school. This study helps educators examine policies
and procedures for students with ED, to determine
best practices in the educational setting.
Ruth A. Jenkins, Ph.D. in Education, University of Akron, OH. She taught for 30 years, primarily elementary children with emotional disturbance, as well as undergraduate and graduate special education classes at the University of Akron and Bowling Green University, OH. Presently, she writes grants for homeless students in Akron, OH.
