Status of and Trends in Academic Intervention Research for Students with Emotional Disturbance

Abstract

Recent research has examined overall trends in the experimental literature relating to students with emotional disturbance (ED). The current review was conducted to examine both the status of and trends in interventions designed to improve the academic functioning of students with ED. Fifty-five studies were included in the descriptive analysis, which spanned the years from 1975 to 2002. Descriptive dimensions of the research included participant demographics, settings, research designs, and dependent and independent variables. Results indicated (a) complete demographic information, especially race and socioeconomic status, was difficult to ascertain for many of the participants; (b) settings were generally special education classrooms; (c) researchers used predominantly single-subject designs; (d) treatment fidelity data were often absent; (e) few studies focused on women and girls or minorities; and (f) there has been a recent decline in both the number and type of studies published, particularly in the areas of self-management and peer tutoring. Limitations of the analysis and future research directions are examined.

Academic Performance of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Served in a Self-Contained Setting

“…Results were consistent with earlier investigations reporting subaverage academic performance among this group (Greenbaum et al 1996;Lane et al 2005a, b;Mooney et al 2003;Nelson et al 2004;Reid et al 2004;Trout et al 2003). Elementary and secondary group scores were well below the 25th percentile for reading, math, and written expression measures, with high magnitude differences (ES sm = −2.23) between the two groups on math performance.…”

“…With respect to primary disability, 31 (73.81%) students had a classification label of emotional disturbance (ED) per the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA, 2004), 5 (11.90%) other health impaired-Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD; APA, 1994), 3(7.14%) learning disability (LD), 1 (2.38%) speech and language impairment, and 2 (4.76) mental retardation. The range of primary disability categories reported for this sample is comparable to other studies conducted in this setting, and all students had serious behavioral challenges that warranted support in a self-contained school for students with EBD (e.g., Barton-Arwood et al 2005;Lane et al 2005a;Mooney et al 2003;Reid et al 2004;Sutherland and Wehby 2001;.…”

“…Further, their research revealed that students made limited academic progress in either setting on reading and math skills. This lack of academic progress may be due to a number of factors including (a) the greater emphasis on behavioral programming and social skills instruction relative to academic instruction (Lane et al 2005a, b;Mooney et al 2003;Reid et al 2004), (b) outcomes measures that may not be sensitive to change (Lane 1999), or (c) the presences of other variables (e.g., hyperactivity, externalizing, internalizing behaviors) that may influence students' academic progress Reid et al (2004).…”

“…The poor academic functioning of students with EBD is not surprising given that academic underachievement is part of the identifying criteria in the federal definition for emotional disturbance (IDEIA 2004;Mooney et al 2003).…”

Academic Achievement of K-12 Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

“…Unfortunately, few researchers have studied effective academic interventions for students with E/BD. A historical review of the academic intervention research conducted with these students showed that only 55 studies have been conducted over the past 30 years (Mooney, Epstein, Reid, & Nelson, 2003). Fot example, despite the severe reading problems faced by children with E/BD, scant research has examined the effects of reading interventions designed to improve the reading skills of children with E/BD.…”