ABSTRACT
This chapter illustrates that during the 1980-81 school year, 25 percent of all students designated as handicapped in Lakeside had been identified as emotionally disturbed. This is a significantly higher percentage than was the case on a national level during the same year. The typical child identified as severely emotionally disturbed in Lakeside is a Black boy who comes from a low-income, single-parent, female-headed household. The majority of their families are subsidized under Aid to Families with Dependent Children. The perspectives reflect what these individuals and others have experienced in their years of working in Lakeside public schools. These statements focus on the teacher’s role in the interaction that has occurred between the teacher and the student. The teacher’s report and behavioral checklist will next be brought before the school building’s Pupil Services Team. This team meets regularly in each school building in Lakeside to discuss children who are experiencing difficulty.
