This report discusses definitional issues of behavior disorders and serious emotional disturbances and describes findings of a mail survey completed by administrators in 23 local and intermediate special education planning units and agencies in 11 states. Survey responses are summarized in tables. These present data on occurrence and agreement for state definitions of behavior disorder; and personnel involved, evaluation instruments used, and data used in identification of seriously emotionally disturbed and socially maladjusted children. Frequent reference is made to multidisciplinary evaluation teams. Data most often include social and developmental histories, observation, interviews, medical and educational records, and student intellectual and psychological evaluation results. Respondents expressed the need for more rigorous operational definitions. It was concluded that despite a variety of personnel involved, there was a consistency in the overall identification process used. The greatest inconsistency among respondents centered in the need to differentiate between seriously emotionally disturbed and socially maladjusted students in identification and service delivery. (CL)