To help improve social and academic outcomes for all students, school psychologists must be ready to accurately identify, assess, and support students with emotional disturbance. This essential resource gives them the clear information, practical guidance, and up-to-date research they need. Ideal for use as a supplemental textbook or a key reference for in-service school psychologists, this book will clarify what constitutes emotional disturbance in educational settings, how it differs from the clinical definition, and how to assess and intervene effectively so students learn and thrive.

PREPARE SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS TO:

• Differentiate social maladjustment from emotional disturbance (includes clear coverage of the exclusionary clause)
• Understand the RTI model as it relates to identification of behavioral and emotional issues
• Meet the legal requirements for assessment procedures
• Determine eligibility for the 'emotional disturbance' identification
• Help ensure meaningful individualized educational programs for students
• Help teachers develop classroom supports that address the needs of students with emotional disturbance

PRACTICAL FEATURES:

Brief vignettes and excerpts from federal- and state-level court findings help illuminate the educational definition of emotional disturbance, and practical tables and charts aid with the assessment process and determining eligibility.

Terry Tibbetts, Ph.D., J.D., is a licensed psychologist and educational attorney who has worked in a variety of clinical and educational settings involving students with emotional disturbance, both as an administrator and as a psychologist. He currently works for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, where he is responsible for the psychoeducational evaluation of adjudicated adolescents.

Dr. Tibbetts also holds a master's degree in clinical social work and is both a registered art therapist and a board-certified behavior analyst. His most recent publication is on the use of short-term gestalt art therapy with adolescents who are emotionally disturbed. Dr. Tibbetts has testified as an independent evaluator and as an expert witness in multiple administrative due process hearings regarding the appropriate identification, assessment, and treatment of students with emotional disturbance. He resides in Southern California with his wife and two children.