The Pursuit of Evidence-Based Practice in Special Education for Children with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders

Abstract

Colleagues in the field of mental health have made considerable progress developing inventories of evidence-based practice; however, the field of special education for children with emotional or behavioral disorders has only recently begun to do so. This paper provides some personal reflections on four major issues for consideration as we pursue evidence-based practice in this field, including: (1) the nature of acceptable evidence; (2) the sustainability of evidence-based practice; (3) the overlap of learning disabilities and emotional or behavioral disorders; and (4) the context of special education in the field of mental health. Such problems are formidable and remain largely unresolved as we enter a new phase of deliberation regarding evidence-based practice.