The hidden cost of separating 'emotionally disturbed' students

分离“情绪困扰”学生的隐性成本

Up First

2026-04-26

38 分钟
PDF

单集简介 ...

There’s a category of special education that stands out from the rest. It’s designed for kids who struggle with their emotions and behaviors, known at the federal level as “emotional disturbance.” More than 300,000 students in the U.S. currently have this label. Often, these students are taught in separate classrooms or even separate schools.  Today on The Sunday Story, reporter Laurie Stern shares how this disability label shaped the life of one student who she followed for nearly two years — and what his experience reveals about how the label can simultaneously support and limit students. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy
更多

单集文稿 ...

  • I'm Aisha Roscoe, and this is a Sunday story from Up First.

  • Across the U.S.

  • There are more than 300,000 students categorized as emotionally disturbed.

  • Emotional disturbance is a federally recognized special education category.

  • It's for kids who struggle not with learning or mobility, but with their behavior and emotions.

  • Like all kids with disabilities, students with the emotional disturbance label

  • are guaranteed a free and appropriate public education.

  • It's baked into a law passed more than 50 years ago, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

  • These kids are also legally entitled to services and specialized help.

  • But there's a big question around whether the support they're getting is doing more harm than good.

  • This week on The Sunday Story, a look at one student who was categorized as emotionally disturbed

  • when he was just a young child and what that has meant for the rest of his education.

  • At home, I knew how to act.

  • But at school, it was problems.

  • I was a bad kid.

  • Stay with us.

  • This message comes from Midi Health.

  • CEO Joanna Strober shares why they started a virtual care platform for women in paramenopause and menopause.

  • Our goal at Midi is to make sure that all women have access to really expert care,

  • starting around 35 and 40, making sure that they get access to all the things