About eight to nine percent of students with emotional disturbance (ED) make up the population of students with disabilities. Most students with ED are in regular classrooms receiving the same level of education as students without disabilities, which results in teachers developing an understanding of their academic performance.
Although their academic performance is important, there are factors that affect their ability to learn to cope with being in a classroom with others. For example, students with ED exhibit behavior and academic problems that impact their academic success in school and engage in classroom activities, which affects their ability to master the necessary skills. There is a sharper decline in their academic outcomes than any group of students with disabilities due to their inhibiting behaviors and inability to get along with others.
Working with students with ED is challenging but not impossible. To improve their academic success, it is important to develop an understanding of their academic needs. Students with ED have become one of the fastest growing populations of students with disabilities, and developing an understanding of how to work effectively with them is important to their success in school.