(a) An emotional/behavioral disorder is a
condition in which a child's behavioral or emotional responses are so
different from those of the generally accepted, age-appropriate norms of
children with the same ethnic or cultural background as to result in
significant impairment in social relationships, self-care, educational
progress or classroom behavior. A child is classified as having an
emotional/behavioral disorder who exhibits one or more of the following
characteristics with such frequency, intensity, or duration as to require
intervention:
(1) Seriously delayed social development including an inability to build or
maintain satisfactory (age appropriate) interpersonal relationships with peers
or adults (e.g., avoids playing with peers);
(2) Inappropriate behavior
(e.g., dangerously aggressive towards others, self-destructive, severely
withdrawn, non-communicative);
(3) A general pervasive mood of
unhappiness or depression, or evidence of excessive anxiety or fears (e.g.,
frequent crying episodes, constant need for reassurance); or
(4) Has a
professional diagnosis of serious emotional disturbance.
(b) The eligibility decision must be based on multiple sources of data,
including assessment of the child's behavior or emotional functioning in
multiple settings.
(c) The evaluation process must include a review of the child's regular Head
Start physical examination to eliminate the possibility of misdiagnosis due to
an underlying physical condition.
