[+] Read about the specific criteria used to determine eligibility in the educational category of emotional disturbance.
Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education – Criteria for Eligibility in the Educational Category of Emotional Disturbance
A child displays an emotional disturbance when:
- Through evaluation procedures that must include observation of behavior in different environments and an in-depth social history the child displays one of the following characteristics:
- An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory or health factors
- An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers
- Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances
- A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression
- A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or social problems
- The characteristic(s) must have existed to a marked degree and over an extended period of time. In most cases, an extended period of time would be a range from two through nine months depending upon the age of the child and the type of behavior occurring. For example, a shorter duration of disturbance that interrupts the learning process in a younger student might constitute an extended period of time. Difficulties may have occurred prior to the referral for evaluation.
- The emotional disturbance adversely affects the child’s educational performance.
NOTE: Manifestations of an emotional disturbance can be observed along a continuum ranging from normal behavior to severely disordered behavior. Children who experience and demonstrate problems of everyday living and/or those who develop transient symptoms due to a specific crisis or stressful experience are not considered to have an emotional disturbance
The SSD Family & Community Resource Center (FCRC) offers
books, videos and other resources on emotional disturbance (PDF). Materials may be sent home through school mail to families whose children receive SSD services. Others may come into the FCRC to check out materials.
Local
Department of Mental Health
Division of Comprehensive Psychiatric Services
www.dmh.missouri.gov/cps/cpsindex.htm
Edgewood Children's Center
www.eccstl.org
Epworth
www.epworth.org
Hawthorn Children’s Psychiatric Hospital
www.dmh.missouri.gov/hcph
Mental Health Association of Eastern Missouri
www.mhagstl.org
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
(NAMI) of St. Louis
www.namistl.org
Provident Counseling
www.providentstl.org
St. John's Mercy Child Development Center
www.stjohnsmercy.org/services/childdevelopment
St. Louis Obsessive-Compulsive
Disorder Support Group
www.stlocd.org
State Resources
Missouri Department of Mental Health Division of Psychiatric Services
www.dmh.missouri.gov
National Resources
Boys Town
http://www.boystown.org/
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
http://www.dbsalliance.org
Mental Health America
www.nmha.org
National Alliance on Mental Illness
www.nami.org
National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health
www.ffcmh.org
National Institute of Mental Health
www.nimh.nih.gov
Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation
www.ocfoundation.org
Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children’s Mental Health
www.rtc.pdx.edu
SAMHSA’S National Mental Health Information Center
www.mentalhealth.org
