Date of Conferral
2021
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Psychology
Advisor
Rodney K. Ford
Abstract
Researchers have identified emotional disturbance (ED) as the fastest growingdiagnosed disability among school-age children. The National Institute of Mental Health estimated that of the 473,000 school-aged students who would qualify as having an ED, the school systems formally identify only 1%. Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) is the most recent depressive disorder added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) and the newest subcategory of ED. There have been few studies on student populations with DMDD, and a significant gap exists in the literature supporting this population in the classroom. The purpose of the study was to interview eight special education teachers selected from a local school district in a northeastern state and from a special education social media website to understand their lived experiences supporting the individualized education plans (IEPs) of students with DMDD. The theoretical frameworks that provided support were phenomenology and Adlerian social feeling. The interviews included asking them how they managed their emotional regulation when students with DMDD were volatile. The data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three themes emerged from the analysis: Managing the Student, Impact on the Student, and Supporting Diagnosis/Training. Implications for positive social change include the provision of professional development opportunities for special education teachers and awareness of the complex nature of DMDD to improve students’ IEPs and their academic success.
Recommended Citation
Tircuit, Gizelle Edith, "Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder in the Classroom" (2021). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 10553.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/10553
