ABSTRACT
Mental illness and need for special education aren't exactly the same, but there's a lot of overlap. In fact, it's unusual to find someone with only one mental health problem or only one manifestation of mental illness. Special education for youngsters who have been identified because of their emotional or behavioral problems is intended as a mental health service. One of the reasons many of the children with mental health needs don't get services is that there's considerable stigma attached to having mental health problems and to getting help for them. There are disorders that are occasionally found in children or adolescents, such as schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, although they're usually adult-onset disorders. One alternative to the typical psychiatric classifications is a categorical system derived from statistical studies of the kind of behavior youngsters exhibit. Acting out or externalizing problems include antisocial behavior or conduct disorders—things like arguing, fighting, disrupting, and bullying.
