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Assessment of severe emotional impairment: Practices and problems
Author(s) -
Clarizio Harvey F.,
Higgins Marilyn M.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
psychology in the schools
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1520-6807
pISSN - 0033-3085
DOI - 10.1002/1520-6807(198904)26:2<154::aid-pits2310260206>3.0.co;2-o
Subject(s) - psychology , special education , rating scale , developmental psychology , disturbance (geology) , school psychology , test (biology) , clinical psychology , gestalt psychology , applied psychology , mathematics education , paleontology , neuroscience , perception , biology
The basic purpose of this study was to determine: (a) how school psychologists operationally define severe emotional disturbance as outlined in PL 94–142 (SED), and (b) the extent to which assessment procedures are in compliance with PL 94–142. A total of 83 school psychologists from two north central states participated in the study. Results indicated that a typical battery for assessing SED consisted of the WISC‐R, WRAT, Bender‐Gestalt, an incomplete sentences test, a behavior‐rating scale, classroom observation, and informal interviews. A high correlation was found between the frequency with which psychologists use a type of data and the importance ascribed to that data source. Psychologists generally relied on only one or two criteria when considering severity of emotional disturbance. Special education placement often was contingent upon program availability. Implications for training and practice were presented.