Characteristics of Students Placed in Special Programs for the Seriously Emotionally Disturbed

Abstract

Subjects studied were 249 seriously emotionally disturbed students (204 boys, 45 girls) ranging in age from 7 to 19 years. Data included 10. teacher's estimate of academic performance in core academic areas, amount of time spent in regular classes or other educational placements, and scores on the Quay-Peterson Behavior Problem Checklist. The sample was below average in IQ and estimated academic achievement. Approximately one-half of the sample were placed for part of the day in regular classes. Those with higher IQs tended to be placed more often in mainstream settings, but academic achievement estimates and type of behavior problem were not clearly related to placement. IQ and academic achievement estimates were significantly related, but IQ was predictive of neither the amount nor the kind of problem behavior. However, BPC factor score was related to estimated reading achievement, poor reading performance was related to high scores on Conduct Disorder and Socialized Delinquency, and high estimated academic performance was related to Personality Problem and Inadequacy-Immaturity. Implications of the findings for prevalence estimates and composition of special education programs for seriously emotionally disturbed students are discussed.