Unfair Treatment of Students with EBD in Education

Introduction Every day, all across America students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) are being discriminated against, treated unfairly, and denied the right to a quality education. Several different issues play a key role in this rising epidemic facing the world of education today. Standardized testing bias, low student performance expectations, early diagnosis, use of labels, and academic accommodations are the most prevalent issues facing students with EBD. These unethical practices are not only discriminating against these types of students, they are denying them the right to equal opportunities and a quality education. “Within the landscape of the inclusive education, teachers are recognized as key players in supporting the

His teachers’ expectations of him have been very low. An article on teacher training expresses the lack of training and knowledge of mainstream teachers. “They have difficulty adapting and modifying instruction in terms of the individual differences of students (individualization) and in dealing with the problem behaviors. Teachers in mainstreaming classrooms are expected to meet the needs of all children, yet teachers indicate they lack the knowledge and skills on mainstreaming and children with special needs” (Akalin, S., & Sucuoglu, B. (2015). No one has ever pushed John to excel or to master grade level content. Due to the lack investigation into the cause of John’s behavioral problems, the cultural biases of the test, and the implementation of academic accommodations, John has never been given the opportunity to succeed, and he has been denied the right to a quality education. According to Mary E. Niesyn in her article, “Strategies for Success: Evidence-Based Instructional Practices for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders”, most general education teachers are neither given the training or feel adequately prepared to meet the needs of students with EBD. She expresses the opinion that most teachers are not resistant to working with students with EBD, they are generally feeling a lack of competency (2009). John’s

Standardized testing is biased against students who lack the skills needed to effectively manage their behavior disorders, and/or the background knowledge to understand the test’s vocabulary. Students who are given classroom accommodations routinely will score much lower on an achievement test than their actual level when those accommodations are not available. In order to get a clear picture of a student’s cognitive ability he/she needs to given more than one ability test. Educators who are not holding students to a high standard are behaving unethically and denying those students the opportunity for academic success and a quality education. When looking at diversity needs in the classroom, the definition of diversity should encompass all types of student differences, not just racial and cultural, but also include the needs of students with different behavioral deficiencies, backgrounds, and coping