The hidden cost of separating 'emotionally disturbed' students

About this episode

The episode explores the impact of the 'emotional disturbance' label on students in special education.

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

People in this episode

Host: NPR

Guest: Laurie Stern

Topics covered

• special education
• emotional disturbance
• student experience
• education policy
• mental health

Keywords

• emotional disturbance
• special education
• student support
• behavioral issues
• education system

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NPR

Places: U.S.

More episodes of Up First from NPR

• Trump Touts Progress In Iran Talks, UFC White House Freedom 250, DNI Nomination · June 12, 2026 · 13 min
• Escalating Attacks Between US & Iran, Inflation Hits Three-Year High, World Cup Opens · June 11, 2026 · 14 min
• US & Iran Trade Retaliatory Strikes, Primary Results In Four States, ICE Funding Bill · June 10, 2026 · 13 min
• Israel And Iran Pull Back, Primaries In Four States, Trump's Election Fraud Claims · June 9, 2026 · 12 min
• Israel-Iran-Lebanon Escalation, Trump Walks Out Of Interview, Ebola Outbreak In DRC · June 8, 2026 · 13 min
• How America is shaping the World Cup · June 7, 2026 · 22 min