A Comparative Analysis of Language, Suspension, and Academic Performance of Students with Emotional Disturbance and Students with Learning Disabilities

This study focused on the relationship among language, behavior, cognitive ability, and academic performance constructs for school-aged students identified with educational disabilities. The authors provide a review of research findings in regard to the language and academic deficits of students with emotional disturbance (ED) and specific learning disabilities (LD). Using an extant school database and structural equation modeling, the interrelationship among the constructs were examined, finding language to be a significant predictor of cognitive ability and academic performance, but not behavior, and that no differences were evident between the disability groups except on the behavioral measure.