Expanding the gaze and moving the needle: Inclusion for students with EBD

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) can be successfully placed in general education classrooms with evidence-based practices such as positive behavior interventions and supports and self-management practices. Still, less than half of all students with EBD are placed in the general education classroom for 80% of the school day. Teachers’ general support for the inclusion of students with disabilities is mediated by their beliefs about disability and their sense of preparation for teaching in inclusive settings. Teachers may support less restrictive settings for students with EBD if these teachers view disability through the tenets of disability studies in education. A framework for infusing these tenets into teacher preparation programs is proposed to help increase the practice of inclusive education for students with EBD.