According to IDEA, emotional and behavioral disorders are defined as?

• A. A condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics over a long period of time and to a degree that adversely affects a child's educational performance: Inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors; An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers; Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances; A general mood of depression or unhappiness; A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with school or personal problems
• B. A cognitive processing disorder
• C. A language impairment
• D. A sensory processing disorder

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is how IDEA defines emotional and behavioral disorders. According to IDEA, these disorders are conditions that last over a long period and adversely affect a student’s educational performance, showing a pattern of behaviors or emotional responses that interfere with learning. The defining features include difficulty learning not explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors; trouble forming or maintaining satisfactory relationships with peers and teachers; inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances; a generally mood of depression or unhappiness; and a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears related to school or personal problems.

This option is the best fit because it captures both the duration and the impact on education, and it lists the specific characteristics IDEA uses to identify emotional or behavioral disorders. Other options point to different kinds of issues—cognitive processing, language impairment, or sensory processing—that IDEA categorizes separately and do not describe the emotional/behavioral disorder criteria.