An Oral History of First-Generation Leaders in Education of Children With Emotional/Behavioral Disorders,Part 2: Important Events,Developments,and People

Abstract

As the second part of an oral history of education of students with emotional and behavioral disorders, 15 first-generation leaders were asked about the events, policies, and people that have had the most influence on their professional lives and to identify the most positive and most negative influences. Their videotaped responses to these questions were transcribed and analyzed and are reported here together with discussion of several themes that emerged. Among the most cited positive influences were passage of the Education of All Handicapped Children Act (precursor to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) in 1975, development and application of behavioral approaches, contributions of talented people, and involvement in professional organizations and activities in the field. The most often identified negative influences were the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002, zero-tolerance policies, inadequate federal definitions of serious emotional disturbance, isolation from other disciplines with potentially relevant knowledge and practices, and resistance to prevention and early intervention approaches.