Expanding the gaze and moving the needle: Inclusion for students with EBD

Abstract

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) can be successfully placed in general education classrooms with evidence-based practices such as positive behavior interventions and supports and self-management practices. Still, less than half of all students with EBD are placed in the general education classroom for 80% of the school day. Teachers’ general support for the inclusion of students with disabilities is mediated by their beliefs about disability and their sense of preparation for teaching in inclusive settings. Teachers may support less restrictive settings for students with EBD if these teachers view disability through the tenets of disability studies in education. A framework for infusing these tenets into teacher preparation programs is proposed to help increase the practice of inclusive education for students with EBD.

Keywords:

• Disability studies in education
• emotional behavioral disorders
• inclusion
• special education
• teacher preparation

Notes

1 The term social model is used here as proxy for a range of similar conceptual models, including the social construction model (Danforth, 2001), the minority group model (Baglieri et al., 2011), and the independent living model (Smart, 2009).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Christopher Lanterman

Chris Lanterman is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Specialties at Northern Arizona University. Dr. Lanterman’s research foci are in universal design for learning, teacher preparation, and disability studies.

Adam B. Lockwood

Adam Lockwood is an assistant professor of School Psychology at Kent State University. His current research focuses on improving educator training with an emphasis on training educators in evidence-based assessment and inclusive practices.

Karen Sealander

Karen Sealander is a professor of Special Education in the College of Education at Northern Arizona University located in Flagstaff, AZ. Karen’s research focus is on evidence-based assessment and data-based decision-making to facilitate inclusionary practices.

Shannon Winans

Shannon Winans is a graduate working toward her degree in the combined School/Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program at Northern Arizona University. Her diverse research interests include promoting competency in the administration of norm-referenced assessments, psychometric evaluations of intelligence tests, and encouraging self-care behaviors among future counselors and educators.

Michelle Novelli

Michelle Novelli is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the department of Teaching and Learning at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ. In addition to inclusion, Michelle’s research interests include play-based intervention and preservice fieldwork.