ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses policies related to education for youth with emotional or behavioral disorders, and describes a policy framework for developing placement options for children with emotional or behavioral disorders. It presents a schema or framework for placement policies that was derived from an investigation of the Center for the Study for Policy Options in Special Education, and discusses policies and practices associated with providing effective services to youth with emotional or behavioral disorders. Since the mid-1980s, mental health professionals, educators, and advocates have struggled with the failure of communities and agencies to meet the needs of children and youth with emotional or behavioral disorders. Policies concerning children with emotional or behavioral disorders devote minimal attention to the contexts of deviant behavior and the culture of the schools. The more formal policies have been pieced together over time in response to specific societal problems and with differing objectives.
