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Of seven students taking music theory at Westfield High School in Chantilly, Va., in 2001-02, six were "pretty cozy and friendly with one another," recalls one of them, Greg Moore. The seventh, Cho Seung-hui, "was sort of there in the corner, just getting by," Mr. Moore says. "In that entire year, I don't think I ever heard him say as much as a single word."</p>
<p>The first time Mr. Moore says he heard Mr. Cho speak was on TV in April -- on a videotape the Korean immigrant mailed the same day he murdered 32 students and faculty members before killing himself at Virginia Tech.</p>
<p>Mr. Cho didn't need to talk to succeed academically at Westfield. Diagnosed with "selective mutism," or anxiety-related refusal to speak, he was placed in special education under the "emotional disturbance" classification. As a result, he was largely excused from making oral presentations and answering teachers' questions in class; oral participation was de-emphasized in his grading. Aided by such "accommodations," or efforts to compensate for his disability, he achieved A's and B's in regular and Advanced Placement courses and was admitted to Virginia Tech.</p>
<p>Details of Mr. Cho's experience in special education, which are only now coming to light, suggest that high schools may be paying too much attention to the academic advancement of bright but troubled students and not enough to their emotional disorders. "The focus is, 'What do we need to do to help him get through school?' " says Dewey Cornell, a clinical psychologist and professor of education at the University of Virginia.</p>
<p>When the students move on to college, schools are rarely warned, students get help with special needs only if they seek it, and psychological problems can flare up, sometimes with devastating consequences. At Virginia Tech, because federal law shields students' mental-health histories, administrators and teachers didn't know about Mr. Cho's earlier troubles. Eventually, his strange behavior set off alarm bells and he was ordered to seek counseling by a judge, but there's no indication he complied.</p>
<p>Most colleges ask applicants if they have been disciplined in high school or convicted of a crime, but they don't inquire about disabilities or accommodations. The lack of information about applicants' emotional health "is a glaring problem" brought to light by the April 16 massacre, says Pomona College Admissions Dean Bruce Poch.</p>
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<p>Very interesting article! Should the high school have done more to "warn" the college? Or taken a different approach to Mr. Cho in school - did their "individualized plan" approach make things better or worse? I know there have been many debates as to the university's responsibility in assessing students' mental health and taking action, but what about the high school's, since apparently his "selective mutism" manifested itself from a very early age?</p>