Students with emotional/behavioral disorders and transition planning: What the follow‐up studies tell us

Abstract

This paper will examine the current literature and implications of follow-up studies of students with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) focusing on the postschool outcomes of this population. The examination of the follow-up studies gave a perspective of transition and postschool outcomes for youths with EBD. In our research, we found 22 follow-up studies that examined the EBD population as a subset of a larger pool of youths with disabilities, yet found only eight studies that examined the EBD population exclusively. When compared to the multitude of studies done with other disability categories (e.g., learning disabled, mild or moderately retarded) the adult outcomes of youth with EBD have not been studied as extensively. This synthesis of the literature on follow-up studies should act as a reference in the revision or updating of curriculum and programming for communities, school boards, educators, counselors, parents, and students. A general conclusion drawn by the literature reviewed was that students with EBD also have lower grades, more course failures, a higher grade retention, and a higher dropout rate than other disability groups and the general population. A re-evaluation of school programs (e.g., general/special education curriculum) and policies (e.g., transition planning) must occur if these postschool outcomes for youths with EBD are to improve. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.In recent years, there has been an increasing interest and concern focusing on the services and postschool outcomes of youths with disabilities. Students with disabilities grow into adults who must function in society at large. The ability of former students with disabilities to function in society will indicate how successful the school services were in preparing them for adulthood. Educators want students to have every opportunity possible to increase the likelihood of students becoming successful and well-adjusted as adults. Preparing students to successfully meet the demands of adult life is a critical part of this transition process.Follow-up studies have been conducted over the last decade to examine the postschool functioning of youths with disabilities. These studies provide an essential information base that administrators and teachers can use to pinpoint transition and curriculum issues that need to be examined further. Postschool outcomes can highlight aspects of educational programs that contribute to successful postsecondary adjustment, as well as areas that need to be strengthened.In our research, we found 22 follow-up studies (18 research studies and 4 literature reviews) that examined the emotional/behavioral disordered (EBD) population as a subset of a larger pool of youths with disabilities, yet found only eight studies (six research studies and two literature reviews) that examined the EBD population exclusively. When compared to the multitude of studies done with other disability categories (e.g., learning disabled, mild or moderately retarded), the adult outcomes of youth with EBD have not been studied a...

Self-Determination Skills and Opportunities of Transition-Age Youth with Emotional Disturbance and Learning Disabilities

“…The in-and postschool outcomes of adolescents with ED-outcomes that generally are worse than for any other disability category-serve as indicators that students may exhibit substantial skill deficits in the area of self-determination (e.g., Wagner, Cameto, & Newman, 2003;Wood & Cronin, 1999). However, clear descriptive data addressing the selfdetermination of adolescents with ED remain absent from the literature.…”

Complete Issue (Julian Kitchen and Darlene Ciuffetelli Parker, editors)

“…Students who exhibit emotional and/or behavioural difficulties (E/BD) are at-risk for poor academic and psychosocial outcomes (e.g. Wood & Cronin, 1999). Recent large-scale data from the United States (Wagner, Kutash, Duchnowski, Epstein, & Sumi, 2005) and Canada (Whitley, Lupart, & Beran, 2009) highlight the social and academic difficulties experienced by elementary and secondary-aged students with school-identified E/BD.…”

“…Recent large-scale data from the United States (Wagner, Kutash, Duchnowski, Epstein, & Sumi, 2005) and Canada (Whitley, Lupart, & Beran, 2009) highlight the social and academic difficulties experienced by elementary and secondary-aged students with school-identified E/BD. In fact, according to some researchers, students with E/BD experience less school success than any other group of students, whether identified with an exceptionality or not (Landrum, Tankersley, & Kauffman, 2003;Wagner et al, 2005;Wood & Cronin, 1999). Within the Canadian education system, students with E/BD may be formally identified for special education services through a combination of teacher observation and referral, parent observation, and psychological assessment (Visser, Daniels, & Cole, 2001;Zionts, Zionts & Simpson, 2002).…”

RESEARCH SECTION: Looking back on school – the views of adult graduates of a residential special school for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties

“…There have been several follow‐up studies of young people identified as having emotional and behavioural difficulties, mainly conducted in either the UK (for example, Farrell & Polat, 2003) or the USA (for example, Blackorby & Wagner, 1996). There has also been one published review of this literature (Wood & Cronin, 1999). After an investigation of the research on this topic, it was found that only four studies have focused on the views of students with emotional and behavioural difficulties about their experiences of residential schools (Cooper, 1993; Jahnukainen, 2001; Polat & Farrell, 2002; Smith, Meltonay & Chakrabarti, 2004).…”