Emotional disturbance and indices of possible trauma-related difficulty: A retrospective record review

The purpose of this exploratory record review was to determine what evidence existed in children's Individualized Education Programs (IEP's) potentially linking emotional disturbance (ED) with possible trauma-related difficulties. The theoretical orientation for the study was based on four trauma-related functional domains identified by Tishelman, Haney, O'Brien and Blaustein (2010), and five distinguishing characteristics used to qualify a child for special education services under the primary disability of ED. The retrospective nature of the record review study design allowed the primary researcher to examine and ultimately obtain indirect evidence of behavioral patterns among children identified with ED.;Three public school districts representing three of the nine district reference groups (DRG's) within the State of Connecticut participated in the study, two of which provided 15 redacted IEP's of children aged 12-18. A data abstraction instrument, designed by the primary researcher was used to extract indices of possible trauma-related difficulty from each IEP. Quantitative measures consistent with those used in analyzing Likert scale data were applied, and resulted in 19 findings that showed the IEP's examined contained preliminary evidence potentially linking ED with possible trauma-related difficulties.;When the four core functional domains: Academics, Relationships, Self-regulation, and Physical Functioning were grouped to form a single indicator of possible trauma-related difficulty, ten of the IEP's (N=12) noted behavioral patterns that aligned with three of the four functional core domains in which children may show trauma-related difficulties in school. To assist in better program outcomes and IEP design, the study recommended educational leaders consider offering professional development opportunities that inform administrators, teachers, guidance counselors, paraprofessionals, and others within the school community of the impact early-life trauma plays on a child's ability: to learn, build and maintain satisfactory relationships, and self-regulate at a developmentally expected level. The study further recommended that future researchers seeking evidence in children's Individualized Education Programs potentially linking emotional disturbance with possible trauma-related difficulties include the use of other standardized documents found within the educational record.