The Pursuit of Evidence-Based Practice in Special Education for Children with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders

Colleagues in the field of mental health have made considerable progress developing inventories of evidence-based practice; however, the field of special education for children with emotional or behavioral disorders has only recently begun to do so. This paper provides some personal reflections on four major issues for consideration as we pursue evidence-based practice in this field, including: (1) the nature of acceptable evidence; (2) the sustainability of evidence-based practice; (3) the overlap of learning disabilities and emotional or behavioral disorders; and (4) the context of special education in the field of mental health. Such problems are formidable and remain largely unresolved as we enter a new phase of deliberation regarding evidence-based practice. </jats:p

Concepts of Learning and Behavior Disorders: Implications for Research and Practice

Two major factors seem to have contributed to the current transformation of special education. One has to do with evidence for or against the special class model of service delivery; the second, which is Jess widely acknowledged, concerns the increasingly complex ways of viewing children with learning and behavior problems. Brief review of the second factor suggests that ecological concepts in mental retardation, learning disabilities, and emotional disorders have begun to characterize current thinking. Implications for research efforts and professional roles are discussed.</jats:p