Teacher Perceptions and Behavioral Strategies for Students With Emotional Disturbance Across Educational Environments

The present study examined problem characteristics of students with emotional disturbance in 3 educational environments, the behavior management and intervention strategies their teachers used, and what relation exists between problem characteristics and intervention strategies. Teachers completed a behavior problems rating scale and they indicated how frequently they used 15 strategies to address academic, externalizing, and internalizing problems. There were significant differences across environments for only 1 characteristic of emotional disturbance, physical symptoms or fears. Teachers in general education settings mainly addressed academic problems; resource/separate classroom educators used instructional, positive, and reductive strategies for academic and externalizing problems and verbal reinforcement for internalizing problems. Separate school educators used a variety of strategies consistently for all 3 problems. Implications for supporting students with emotional disturbance across educational environments are discussed.