Journal of Disability Policy Studies

doors, they come with a range of academic, behavioral, and social competencies. Although some arrive with the prerequisite academic skills and the social and behavioral competencies needed to navigate teacher-to-student and peer-to-peer interactions, others are less well equipped (Walker, Irvin, Noell, & Singer, 1992; Walker, Ramsey, & Gresham, 2004). For these students, school is a challenging place as they are noted for their poor academic perfor-mance, limited self-determination skills (e.g., problem solving, self-regulation strategies), impaired social skills (e.g., interpreting neutral interactions as hostile), and behavior patterns that tend to alienate the very people there to support them in their educational endeavors (e.g., a ten-dency to respond with aggression or social withdrawal; Lane, 2007; Sutherland & Wright, in press; Wehmeyer & Field, 2007). These splintered skill sets in multiple areas pose significant challenges for teachers and administrators alike. They are attempting to support students with multiple areas of need, in schools serving diverse populations, while the press for academic excellence increases (Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act [IDEA], 2004; No Child Left Behind, 2002). Although some individuals might think students with behavioral challenges represent a small percentage of school age students, this is actually not the case. In fact, recent prevalence estimates suggest that between 2 % and 20 % of school age students have emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) at some time during their educational careers, with conservative estimates suggesting that 6 % of students have externalizing (e.g., aggression, delinquency, and coercion), internalizing (e.g., extreme shyness, social withdrawal, anxiety, or depression), or comorbid concerns (Kauffman & Brigham, 2009). Thus, the problem of meet-ing this population’s academic, behavioral, and social needs is not a small concern. Furthermore, it is not a special edu-cation issue—which is a common misperception (Lane