This study investigated the procedures used by psychologists in a large midwestern urban area for the initial diagnosis and placement of elementary children with severe emotional disturbance (SED) in educational programs in light of the widespread criticism of the use of projective tests due to the questionable reliability of the tests and dependency on psychologists' clinical judgment. A total of 94 school psychologists completed a survey regarding instrumentation of choice in the assessment of children with emotional/behavioral disorders. The files of 122 children, aged 6 through 12, who were initially placed in SED classes during 1991-92 were reviewed to ascertain the procedures listed for assessment of social-emotional functioning. While results of the survey showed a growing interest in use of behavioral rating scales, the actual files indicated a continued dependence on projective procedures. (Contains 11 references.) (DB)