Emotional Impairment

1-Definition
2-Characters
3-How they differ
4-Instructional strategies and modifications
5-Federal Laws
6-Organizations

I picked this picture because many children who have emotional impairments take their emotions out using violence and in turn develop a behavior disorde, unless early intervention can stop this.

Emotional Impairment

1. One or more of the following characteristics exhibited over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects educational performance: an inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors; an inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers; inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances; a general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression; or a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.

2. Students with emotional impairments also tend to have behavioral disorders as well. Students with emotional impairments tend to react to situations differently than typical students. A student with an emotional disorder does not smile often and tends to have outbursts when they get frustrated with situations. Students react differently to their emotional impairments, some students take their frustrations out in anger while others keep to themselves and sometimes harm themselves, this is an example of how emotional and behavioral impairments go hand in hand. Children who do not know how to properly express their emotions sometimes use inappropriate words and body language to do this and in turn face the consequences, when they are sometimes unsure of what they have done wrong. Home life can influence a student with emotional disorders and also lead to their emotional disorders; students often take their emotions and negative behaviors out on other students around them at school. Students who are opposite from the ones just explained tend to hide their feelings and express them in only tears and negative attitudes. This affects their social life and leaves them with few to no friends.

3. Students with emotional impairments are different from the typical students in the surroundings because they either have extreme outbursts, stopping them from being sociable and making friends or they are kept to themselves and depressed, which also keeps them from being sociable and making friends. They are also different because they tend to fall behind academically due to this impairment. The typical students in a classroom with students like this are usually shocked by their emotions and behaviors that they are unsure of what to do and how to react, so they choose not to.

4. Modifications, accommodations and instructional strategies used for students with emotional impairments are not as easy to come up with as for specific learning disabilities or other impairments. Students with emotional impairments are sometimes places with one on one teacher’s in a general classroom to try and get their academic standings a little better since they are often a lot lower than the typical student their age. Another strategy for students who have emotional impairments where they tend to keep to themselves have trouble with their social skills, making a game that the student would play with a small group of students or doing an activity they would enjoy may encourage them to speak up or make friends. Students who tend to have behavioral outbursts need to be put in a calm environment where things won’t put them over with their emotions. Sending these students to counseling is also a way to maybe make their emotional outbursts or temper tantrums occur less often. Working one on one with these students may open them up to talk and not break down as well.

5. The federal law that applies to students with emotional impairments can be the IDEA 2004; part of this plan is transition services and the quality of personnel. These two aspects would apply to this type of students because a lot of students with emotional impairments struggle with transitions, they have a tough time working in a comfortable place, but take them out of their comfort zone and things can only get worse. The other aspect that applies to them is the quality of personnel, the one on one aids working with students with emotional impairments are that they must have a full state certification and a license to teach. This ensures that these people know how to handle the students and their impairments.

6. An organization for children with emotional disabilities is Bridges4Kids. This is an organization that helps children with family, school and personal partnerships. They provide you with positive behavior supports, accommodations, general information about emotionally impaired students and resources that may be helpful to parents or educators looking into information on students with emotional impairments or disabilities.


Anastasiow, N., Coleman, MR., Gallagher, J., & Kirk, S. (2009). Educating Exceptional Children: Twelfth Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.