Severe Emotional/Behavioral Disorder: (Criteria E)

"Emotional/behavioral disorder (EBD) refers to a condition in which behavioral or emotional responses of an individual in school are so significantly different in degree and/or kind from his or her generally accepted age appropriate, ethnic, or cultural norms that they adversely affect educational performance in one or more areas: self-care, social relationships, personal adjustment, academic progress, classroom behaviour, or work adjustment. Difficulties must be displayed in multiple environments, one of which must be school" (CCBD, 1991).

    A child/youth qualifies for services via Teacher Staffing Regulation 10.1E if s/he meets the following 9 criteria.

1. The child/youth demonstrates four (4) or more of the following six characteristics:
      

   (i) An inability to establish or maintain satisfactory relationships with peers or adults.

          (ii) The demonstration of a general mood of unhappiness.

          (iii) The demonstration of inappropriate behaviour or feeling under ordinary conditions.

          (iv) The demonstration of continued difficulty in coping with the learning remedial intervention.

          (v) The demonstration of physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.

          (vi) The demonstration of difficulties in accepting the realities of personal responsibility accountability.

2. All five of these qualifiers must exist for each of the four or more characteristics which are exhibited.

          (i) Behaviour significantly different in degree and/or kind from applicable normative data;

          (ii) Behaviour is adversely affecting educational performance in one or more areas (see above definition);

          (iii) Behaviour is not a transient response to stressors in the student's environment;

          (iv) Behaviour persists after intervention and support;

          (v) Behaviour is displayed in multiple environments, for both pre-school and school age child; for the school age child one of these environments must be school.

3. A comprehensive assessment designed to address criteria 1 and 2 has been completed by a psychiatrist and school psychologist. (see note)

4. The comprehensive assessment reveals that the Emotional Behaviour Disorder is the primary condition. The Emotional Behaviour Disorder may coexist with one or more of the following conditions: aggression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety and stress related disorders, depression, suicide, pervasive developmental disorders, conduct disorders, delinquency, psychoses (schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder), drug/alcohol abuse, habit disorders (sleeping, toileting, eating, speech), social conditions (poverty, discrimination, family discord/divorce, child abuse/neglect) or traumatic brain injury.

5. Curriculum modification and direct skills' instruction has not diminished the intensity of the Emotional Behavioral Disorder.

6. The child/youth must as a function of the Emotional Behavioral Disorder, require a small group alternate setting within the regular school environment, for a portion of the school day in order to function and learn.

7. The student is enroled in three or more alternate courses at the high school level/alternate programs @ K-9. Each course should require at least 60 minutes of teaching per week. These courses/programs could be in any of the following areas: self care, social relationships, personal adjustment, anger management, anxiety reduction, behaviour control. Alternate course/program descriptions are included with the ISSP. If the course is registered for credit it must be at least 55 hours for one credit and 110 hours for 2 credits.

8. The student is receiving direction instruction to transfer skills learned in alternate courses to other environments.

9. The educational/behavioral component of the ISSP as signed by the team includes:

• goals and objectives/outcomes for modified course(s)
• required alternate courses
• supports required by the child/youth to enable learning:

            (i) the needed structures and routines

            (ii) transitional supports

            (iii) environmental adaptation(s)

            (iv) counseling

• response protocols for all persons interacting with the student
• how and where (includes child's/youth's schedule) intensive interventions will be provided
• specific strategies which the student must learn to accommodate his/her Emotional Behaviour Disorder

Note: pediatrician may substitute where access to a psychiatrist is not available.

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