Interventions for Students with Behavioral Disorders: An International Literature Review

Abstract

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) are found internationally. This systematic literature review identifies interventions conducted on these students. Although the U.S. produces abundant studies on effective school-based academic and behavioral interventions, a search of over 4,000 articles published over 6 years yielded only 11 international studies meeting the selection criteria. Out of 11 qualified studies, 6 reported therapeutic treatments, 8 targeted elementary students, 9 were conducted in self-contained classrooms, and 9 were from the U.K. These findings indicate a paucity of quantitative research determining effectiveness of EBD interventions currently used in schools worldwide. The results indicate that quantitative studies are not the standard of evidence-based practice internationally, and diagnostic criteria and terms used to identify students vary worldwide.