Come Tomorrow: Considering the Future Needs for Students With Emotional and/or Behavioral Disorders

Abstract

Four reputed leaders for the coming years in the field of special education for individuals with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) each with a slightly different perspective on the field were asked to respond independently to a prompt asking what does special education mean for students with EBD and what is being done and how do we maintain tradition? The contributors' responses to the prompt are presented and then summarized across the essays. A remarkable consistency emerges across the independent essays. In addition to the tradition of providing a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment, the contributors identify needs to support teachers serving this population. Needs in teacher training and the expertise required to meet the needs of individuals with EBD are outlined as well as potential contributions of technology to carry out specific tasks. We conclude with a call for increased advocacy for use of the knowledge that we currently possess and that which will soon be discovered to support students with EBD as well as their teachers. We also note that the contributors' names are listed alphabetically to acknowledge the equality of each person to the final product.

Citation

Brigham, F.J., Claude, C., Chow, J., Eddy, C.L., Gage, N. and McKenna, J.W. (2024), "Come Tomorrow: Considering the Future Needs for Students With Emotional and/or Behavioral Disorders", Obiakor, F.E. and Bakken, J.P. (Ed.) Special Education (Advances in Special Education, Vol. 38), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 29-54. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0270-401320240000038003