Chapter 6 Teaching Students with Emotional and Behavioral
Disorders
6.1 Multiple Choice
1. Federal special education law uses which one of the following terms to describe children and youth with emotional
and behavioral disorders?
A) behaviorally disordered
B) emotionally disturbed
C) emotionally disordered
D) emotionally conflicted
2. Definitional problems for emotional/behavioral disorders have been made more difficult do to
A) the conceptual models used in the field.
B) the range and variability of normal and deviant behavior.
C) the difficultly measuring both emotions and behavior.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
3. The psychiatric classification system most frequently used in the United States to diagnose individuals with
emotional and behavioral disorders is the
A) Diagnostic Manual of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders.
B) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
C) Psychiatric Classification System of Mental Health Disorders.
D) International Classification System of Mental Disorders.
4. Which of the following is not a major component of the DSM-IV classification system?
A) Schizophrenia
B) Social Maladjustment
C) Mood Disorders
D) Personality Disorders
5. Identification of students with emotional and behavioral disorders has been compromised due to
A) ambiguity of definitions used by states.
B) limited training of school psychologists in conducting assessments.
C) financial limitations of districts.
D) general professional hesitation to apply the label of behavioral disordered.
E) all of the above
6. Which one of the following statements is false regarding students with emotional and behavioral disorders?
A) Children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders are an under-identified population of students.
B) Children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders are a heterogenous population.
C) The majority of students identified as having emotional and behavioral disorders are female.
D) Students with emotional and behavioral disorders are an underserved population of students.
7. Students identified with E/BD
A) are most likely to be Hispanic.
B) are less likely to change schools.
C) are likely to read on grade level.
D) are more likely to come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
8. Which of the following has not been proposed as a cause of emotional and behavioral disorders?
A) genetics/heredity
B) environmental factors
C) variables related to family, school, and community factors
D) neurological abnormalities
E) cultural differences
9. Fourteen-year-old Alonzo is a gang member. According to Quay and Peterson’s (1987) classification
system, to which subgroup might Alonzo be assigned?
A) conduct disorder
B) socialized aggression
C) attention problems-immaturity
D) motor excess
E) psychotic behavior
10. Which of the following best describes the intellectual ability and academic achievement of most students with
emotional and behavioral disorders?
A) Most students with emotional and behavioral disorders display at least average
intellectual ability and achievement.
B) The majority of students with emotional and behavioral disorders score in the mental retardation range of
intellectual ability and are significantly behind academically.
C) Most students with emotional and behavioral disorders score in the below average range in terms of
intellectual ability and academic achievement.
D) Unlike students with other types of disabilities, the majority of students with emotional and behavioral
disorders are quite bright, scoring in the above average range in terms of intellectual ability and academic
achievement.
11. Eleven-year-old Maria uses profanity frequently. Her teacher has planned a functional behavioral assessment.
The purpose of this is to
A) determine her specific category of emotional disturbance.
B) evaluate peer relationships.
C) extinguish the behavior.
D) help teachers better understand the disruptive behaviors leading to better interventions.
12. Federal law requires that when a student with a disability is being considered for suspension/expulsion,
________ must first be undertaken.
A) in-school suspension
B) a manifestation determination
C) police notification
D) after-school detention
13. The majority of students with emotional and behavioral disorders are educated in
A) residential programs.
B) special schools.
C) regular schools.
D) alternative school programs.
14. Students with E/BD are
A) commonly included in general education classrooms, yet to a lesser extent than students with learning disabilities.
B) are not eligible for special education and related services.
C) not generally included in general education classrooms.
D) usually included in general education classrooms to the same extent as students with learning disabilities.
15. Methods used to teach social skills include all of the following except
A) modeling.
B) attribution reaffirmation.
C) positive practice.
D) prompting.
E) direct instruction.
16. Positive behavior supports theory, or PBS, emphasizes all of the following except
A) proactive strategies
B) preventive strategies
C) early intervention
D) aversive contingencies
17. Which of the following type(s) of medication has(have) been found to be effective with students who have
emotional and behavioral disorders?
A) stimulants
B) anticonvulsants
C) antidepressants
D) mood-altering drugs
E) all of the above
18. Which of the following is not an academic characteristic of students with E/BD?
A) More likely to be absent from school
B) Less likely to graduate from high school
C) Have a pattern of overachievement
D) Are retained more frequently
6.2 True or False
1. Fourteen-year-old Eric is rejected by his peers even though he performs very well academically. Therefore, Eric is
probably eligible for special education services under the category of emotional disturbance.
2. Most children and youth are occasionally disruptive in school. These behaviors do not necessarily mean that a child
has an emotional and behavioral disorder.
3. Eleven-year-old Alicia has experienced significant depression for several years and has difficulty keeping focused on
her academic tasks. Therefore, Alicia is probably eligible for special education services under the category of emotional
disturbance.
4. Fifteen-year-old Diana has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and is experiencing significant academic problems as
a result. Therefore, Diana is probably eligible for special education services under the category of emotional
disturbance.
5. Children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders are an under-identified population of students.
6. Research suggests that far more males than females are identified as having emotional and behavioral
disorders.
7. Antisocial behavior may be caused by dysfunctional family interactions.
8. The most common emotional and behavioral problems seen in today’s schools are acting out and disruptive
behavior.
9. The primary problem faced by most teachers when dealing with students who have emotional and behavioral disorders
is severe depression.
10. Fifteen-year-old Devon appears depressed and excessively withdrawn in school. These behaviors may be
indicative of an externalizing disorder.
11. Sasya is frequently defiant, non-compliant, and is disruptive in the classroom. These behaviors may be
indicative of an externalizing disorder.
12. Reading is a problematic area for most students with emotional and behavioral disorders.
13. Typically, 75% or more of students with emotional and behavioral disorders graduate from high school.
14. Because the problems of students with emotional and behavioral disorders are not primarily academic in nature,
the long-term outcomes for students with these disorders are good.
6.3 Short Answer
1. ________ behaviors and emotions include withdrawal, apathy, fear, anxiety, and depression.
2. ________ is a promising assessment approach that focuses on the unique talents, skills, and life events among students
with emotional and behavioral disorders.
3. A ________ is defined as an analysis of the contingencies responsible for behavioral problems.
4. The key question to be answered in a ________ is whether or not the student’s behavior was caused by, or had a direct
and substantial relationship to the child’s disability, or if the behavior was the direct result of the school’s failure to
implement the IEP.
5. The primary goal of ________ is to help an individual to change his or her lifestyle in a direction that
improves the quality of life of the individual.
6.4 Essay
1. Several theoretical causes of emotional and behavioral disorders have been proposed by researchers. Identify and
describe at least three of these theoretical causes.
2. Describe four (4) types of assessment procedures used for students with emotional and behavioral disorders.
3. Ten-year-old Leah has been identified as having both ADHD and learning disabilities. Relative strengths for
Leah include oral expression and listening comprehension. In class, Leah experiences significant difficulties with
reading, spelling, and written expression. In addition, Leah is overactive and has severe attention difficulties.
Finally, Leah is very disorganized and has difficulty keeping up with her assignments. Describe how you might
accommodate Leah’s needs in your general education reading class using intervention strategies described in the
text.
4. Fifteen-year-old Alex is well below grade level in the areas of reading, spelling, and written expression. Alex is
frequently absent without an excuse, and he is often the “class clown” in his classes. When interviewed, Alex
related that he plans to quit school as soon as he turns sixteen. Also, he told the interviewer that he does not
complete his assignments and homework because he cannot read his high school textbooks. When observed in the
classroom, the observer notes that Alex’s disruptive behavior seems to occur whenever he is given independent
work that requires reading.
Based on this case study, answer the following questions:
(1) What is the target behavior?
(2) What is(are) the potential function(s) of the target behavior? Make a clear hypothesis statement about
the target behavior.
(3) What might be the antecedent(s) or precipitating conditions to the target behavior?
(4) What are the consequences for the target behavior?
(5) What intervention strategies would you use to address the target behavior?
5. Provide illustrative examples of how the following variables might influence a student’s behavior:
(1) Physiological factors
(2) Classroom environment factors
(3) Curriculum and instruction
6. Identify effective instructional practices to use with E/BD students.
7. Describe at least three (3) ways to arrange the physical environment to facilitate appropriate behavior.
Chapter 6 Teaching Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
6.1 Multiple Choice
6.2 True or False
6.3 Short Answer
6.4 Essay
2. A description of the following should be included:
