Dr. Richard J. Whelan: Seeing the Field of Emotional and Behavior Disorders Through the Lens of a Pioneer

Abstract

is a distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Kansas. His earliest professional experiences were at the Children's Hospital (Southard School) of the Menninger Clinic, where he served as a recreational therapist, teacher, and director of education. During his career at the University of Kansas and the KU Medical Center, he held an academic appointment in the Department of Psychiatry and was a professor of pediatrics, education, and special education. He also held the administrative posts of chairperson of the Department of Special Education, dean of a Graduate Division, dean of the School of Education, and director of education for the University Affiliated Facility interdisciplinary clinical and research programs at the KU Medical Center. In 1968, Dr. Whelan was appointed to an endowed chair, the Ralph L. Smith Distinguished Professor of Child Development, which he held until retirement from the university. From 1972 to 1974, he served as director of the Division of Personnel Preparation in the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (now Office of Special Education Programs in the U.S. Department of Education). He was also project director of federal grants that provided support for leadership development in special education. His avocation was varied but supportive of his major efforts in developing effective educational programs for children with mental disorders.When the procedural protections of P.L. 94-142 (1975) became effective, Dr. Whelan became a due process hearing officer and hearing officer trainer. During his time in Washington, D.C., he completed mediator training at the Federal Mediation Service. When mediation was added as an option to address special education disputes, he was approved by the Kansas Supreme Court as a mediator and a mediator trainer in core (e.g., special education disputes) and parent-adolescent disputes. During the early 1980s, he chaired a Kansas State Board of Education committee that changed special education teacher certification regulations

An Oral History of First-Generation Leaders in Education of Children With Emotional/Behavioral Disorders, Part 3

“…The videotapes were transcribed to print format and then edited and analyzed by the researchers. A more detailed description of the research methods can be found in the first report (Kaff et al, 2011).…”

Observations From the Architects of the Fields of Learning Disabilities and Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities

“…It’s hard to convince people to put that initial expenditure out there. (Kaff, Teagarden, & Zabel, 2011a, p. 188)…”

“…Richard Whelan expressed disappointment that the field has not focused more on early identification and prevention, “as Eli Bower wanted us to do in the 1950s. It just didn’t happen, much to the disappointment of many in our field” (Kaff et al, 2011a, p. 188).…”

“…In discussing one initiative designed to result in “deinstitutionalization and normalization,” Richard Whelan commented, “Unfortunately, only the first part occurred as planned. We replaced it with a new institution with old names—‘prison and jail’—and now housed within their walls are individuals with mental disorders who do not have access to appropriate treatment” (Kaff et al, 2011a, p. 186). As Sheldon Braaten noted,One of the sad things to come out of that era was a shift in public policy for youth in the direction of seeing public safety as a priority and emphasizing the juvenile justice system rather than rehabilitation.…”

The Importance of What You Leave Behind: A Conversation With Carl Smith

“…So those experiences were real gifts. Dick Whelan (Kaff, Teagarden, & Zabel, 2011a) from the University of Kansas. Dick was a member of the advisory committee for a large grant I had.…”