BEHAVIORAL EMOTIONAL-PROBLEMS OF CHILDREN WITH SERIOUS EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCES AND LEARNING-DISABILITIES

This study tested the discriminative validity of two empirically based rating scales for differentiating children with serious emotional dis turbance (SED) from children with learning disabilities (LD) and match ed normal controls. Subjects were 366 children with SED, 366 with LD, and 366 normal controls, ages 5-18, matched on gender, age and demogra phic variables. Parent ratings were obtained on the Child Behavior Che cklist (CBCL) and teacher ratings on the Teacher's Report Form (TRF) f or each subject. Results showed that children with SED scored signific antly higher than children with LD on all but one CBCL scale and all T RF scales. Both groups scored higher than normal controls on all but o ne scale. Teacher-reported aggressive behavior was the best predictor of SED versus LD classification. Other significant predictors included attention problems, delinquent behavior, social problems, thought pro blems, and withdrawal. Implications are discussed regarding assessment and special education eligibility decisions.