Most definitions of emotionally disturbed youngsters suggest that disturbances in the child's behavior patterns cause academic and social problems which affect the child and his peers. While the process of identification may be facilitated by operational criteria within a definition, these factors are noticeably absent from definitions of emotional disturbance. The State of Florida has adopted a definition for emotionally handicapped children which has potential for operationalization. That definition and its components as well as a discussion of implications relative to its use are presented here.

For Predominantly white colleges and universities that enroll black student‐athletes, to continue to ignore the special needs of these students will elevate what many already call a national disgrace to tragic proportions.

Editor's Note As we noted in last issue's editorial, Behavioral Disorders is initiating a new series of publications "celebrating and applying the rich history of impactful scholarship published the journal" that features reprints of classic articles from Behavioral Disorders published in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Original authors and/or contemporary scholars in the area will author an accompanying commentary discussing each classic article, its implications, and developments in the area since publication of the article. In this issue, we feature the first in our classic article series by reprinting Algozzine, Schmid, and Conners' 1978 manuscript examining issues related to establishing an acceptable definition for emotional and behavioral disorders. As Algozzine notes, the definitional issues posed in 1978 are worth revisiting given that the field has yet to accomplish systematic application of an improved definition. Look for more reprinted classic articles and expert commentaries in future issues.