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In this chapter, we consider a number of issues that impact or are related to the identification and promotion of evidence-based practice (EBP) for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Specifically, we offer (1) a brief overview of issues related to identifying EBP in special education generally; (2) some considerations about the prospects of identifying evidence-based practice for students with EBD in particular; (3) a discussion of the various sources from which information on EBPs can be drawn, and the issues and challenges associated with the search for EBPs; and (4) suggestions regarding reasonable expectations for practitioners in search of EBPs. We conclude with a discussion of several questions that must be addressed to ensure positive strides toward making EBPs available to practitioners in impactful ways for students with EBD.

We consider the theory and evidence supporting learning styles, and contrast these with the related concepts of learning preferences and student choice. Although the theory of learning styles remains popular in the field of education as one guidepost teachers might use to maximize the effectiveness of instruction for individual students, including students with learning and behavioral disabilities, a review of the evidence supporting a learning styles approach suggests that it offers little benefit to students with disabilities. In contrasting learning styles with the related concept of learning preferences, we posit that interventions based on student choice may offer a more parsimonious and evidence-driven approach to enhancing instruction and improving outcomes for students with learning and behavioral disabilities.

Given the complex and chronic nature of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), the search for and use of evidence-based practices may be hindered by the way we frame questions of what works. Instead of asking “what works in EBD?” – a question that is framed around an eligibility category and not specific behavioral and academic needs – we argue that the question should be contextualized around the targets of intervention. With the right question in mind – “what works for addressing this problem?” professionals in the field must reach consensus on ways to evaluate the current knowledge base and provide guidelines for future research to answer the question. Interventions that address specific behavioral and academic needs, are simple to implement, explicit in their execution, and predictable in their outcomes are most likely to be useful to teachers and to contribute to an evidence base for EBD.

Despite long-standing evidence that the use of exclusionary discipline practices is both ineffective and even potentially harmful, these policies continue to be used in educational settings across the country. In this chapter, we discuss the problems associated with exclusionary discipline, with an emphasis on zero tolerance approaches. We begin our discussion with a brief history of the origin of zero tolerance policies, a presentation of data that contradict the effectiveness of such policies, and examples of the continued and egregious application of this exclusionary approach. We discuss problems of disproportionality associated with the use of zero tolerance policies, including how this approach exacerbates learning problems for students with and at risk for disabilities, especially if that risk is related to emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). We conclude by offering alternatives to a zero tolerance approach in the form of positive and preventative approaches for improving student behavior across various levels of intensity within a tiered system of support framework.

Emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) are complex and challenging, and the problems of children and youth with EBD have perplexed scholars and professionals for centuries. In this volume, authors of the chapter describe recent advances in research and current issues in the education and treatment of EBD in children and youth. Although progress in solving the problems of EBD has been slow, and many problems and issues have persisted for decades, the incremental progress offered by science, as reflected in the chapters contained herein, represents our best hope not for solving or curing EBD, but for moving the field forward in improving outcomes for children and youth with EBD and their families.