As a member of Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders (CCBD) for over 40 years, and having served on the Executive Committee (EC) for over 10, this author is firmly bonded to the organization, and appreciates the EC's efforts to address the challenges facing it today. Obviously, foremost among these challenges is a substantial decline in…

The origins and evolution of the field of emotional/behavioral disorders (E/BD) provide a context for offering suggestions for advancing the field. Building from this historical past and the research of others in the field, four broad recommendations which focus on academic and social needs of students with E/BD are offered: (a) ensuring high…

The authors' association goes back more than 40 years, when they were both starting doctoral studies in special education for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) at the University of Kansas. In this article, the authors provide a balanced (albeit biased) account of the good and the bad, including some of the many achievements…

The notion of what is meant by the term "crazy" is explored and certain aspects of the educational system are labeled "crazy." The confusing array of federal and state policies dealing with students with emotional disturbances is noted, and questions are posed to educators and practitioners to illustrate the need to be open to new knowledge and…

The authors examine factors contributing to the perpetuation of the categorical approach to education for behaviorally disordered students and document problems associated with it. Factors in support of the noncategorical are presented. Selected examples of noncategorical educational programs precede recommendations concerning the facilitation of…

This article, originally presented as the keynote speech at a national conference, presents the author's views regarding the field of emotional and behavioral disorders currently, a brief history of the field, what is known about students with difficult behavior, how schools respond to them, and ways to build school capacity to work with all…

Focuses on social maladjustment exclusion in serious emotional disturbance criteria in Public Law 94-142, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Responds to earlier articles by Skiba and Grizzle in reaction to Slenovich's book, "PL 94-142 as Applied to DSM III Diagnoses" and Slenovich's response to articles. Comments on these analyses, and…

This editorial introduces the papers in this special issue and contends that aggressive, violent student behavior is not the responsibility of schools alone but of the community. It argues that a strong proactive response to aggressive behavior's origins in childhood and effective interventions in schools will have substantial impact on violent…

Provides an analysis of aggressive and violent behavior among today's youth and of practices, both historical and current, that have been used in schools to deal more effectively with such behavior. Public enlightenment and more proactive strategies are suggested as measures to achieve more positive outcomes. (Author/CR)

Discusses appropriate and effective levels of service in educational, social, mental health, and juvenile systems for children and youth with emotional and behavioral disorders. Notes problems with provision of integrated services are not entirely related to the lack of financial and programmatic resources. Introduces conceptual, practice, and…

Discusses the need for professionals in the field of behavioral disorders to take a leadership role in addressing larger issues and problems of great concern to our society, including ensuring school safety, identifying children vulnerable to gang membership, dropout prevention, and youth violence. (CR)

Four preschool children who exhibited aggressive methods for resolving social interaction conflicts were taught a problem-solving strategy. Results found that acquisition of the problem-solving strategy influenced the types of alternative solutions the children provided to social interaction conflicts. Students produced more prosocial resolutions…

This counterpoint to a comment (EC 601 662) about the authors' original paper (EC 600 431) argues that some educators' lack of tolerance for pupils who are socially maladjusted is not a valid reason for excluding those students from public schools and that change should be accomplished through system improvement more than through system…

Discusses some difficulties that may be anticipated in facilitating teachers' use of functional-assessment procedures. Strategies are suggested for promoting acceptance of the functional-assessment process and for providing training and technical assistance to support its appropriate implementation. (CR)

Reflections on the field of special education include observations, such as a looming crisis for students with emotional/behavioral disorders and future challenges. Associated suggestions include: (1) make prevention appealing; (2) work toward more interdisciplinary collaboration; and (3) advocate for research supported methodologies. (Contains…