A selective comparison of psychological, developmental, social, and academic factors among emotionally disturbed children in three treatment settings.

This study was undertaken to determine whether there were significant differences among three groups of emotionally disturbed children in Massachusetts: children in private residential schools; children in private day schools; and children in special classes for the emotionally disturbed in public schools. The subjects involved in the study consisted of three groups of children who were evaluated as being emotionally disturbed and whose initial enrollments in the respective programs were accomplished during the 1972 to 1973 school year. This represented 129 children enrolled in private day schools, 72 children enrolled in private residential schools, and 309 children enrolled in public school special classes for the emotionally disturbed. Data for these populations were obtained from the records for each of the children on file at the Massachusetts Department of Education, Division of Special Education. This included data on psychiatric diagnosis, IQ, parental separation, geographical location, family income, family social position, and assessment of the child's physical well-being. In addition, two tests were administered to all subjects: The Rutter Child Behavior Scale was completed by each child's classroom teacher, and the Wide Range Achievement Test was administered by the professional having the responsibility for psychometric testing in the respective school.