We have the highest percentage of kids in special education. Why is this?
By Barbara Pierce
The number of students in special education in the U.S. has doubled over the past four decades.
Students in special education now make up an increasing share of the student population, with schools responsible for providing special services to this growing segment of students.
The percentage of students receiving special education services varies widely across the U.S. In New York, we serve the largest share of disabled students in the country, with 20.5% of students identified as children with special needs. This is from Pew Research Center data collected in 2022. Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that conducts research, analyzes data and informs the public about issues.
That percentage is huge. That’s one in every five of our students. “Special education” means specially designed individualized or group instruction, services or programs to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities. Special education services are provided at no cost to parents.
New York state defines a child eligible for special education, as someone who “because of mental, physical or emotional reasons, has been identified as having a disability and who requires special services and programs approved by the department” (section 4401 of Education Law). The child’s academic performance must be adversely affected by one of the 13 disability classifications.
A student’s disability classification is determined through evaluation. If he is found eligible, schools and parents collaborate to develop an individualized education program (IEP), a written document that outlines a child’s educational needs and the specialized services he needs to succeed in school.
The categories of disability generally include autism, hearing or vision impairment, orthopedic impairment, below average intellectual functioning, emotional disturbance, other health impairments, speech or language impairment and learning disabilities.
It’s those last categories, speech or language impairment and learning disabilities, that are increasing rapidly and driving up the numbers here in New York as well as all over the US. The most prevalent disability classifications are learning disabilities (close to 40% of all students with learning disabilities) and speech or language impairments (32%)
Learning disabilities include dyslexia, which affects reading skills; dysgraphia, which impairs writing skills; and dyscalculia, which impacts math skills.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is not considered a learning disability, but it can affect learning. The number of children diagnosed with ADHD has also risen considerably. Though ADHD does not have its own category, students diagnosed with ADHD can get IEPs under the “other health impairment” category.
“Diagnosing these conditions is not black and white; there is no blood test or brain scan that shows definitively what, if anything, is going on, and good research regarding actual prevalence usually lags way behind,” said Shawn Cusworth, director of Behavioral Health, The Neighborhood Center, Utica. The Neighborhood Center provides services to promote the well-being of children and families, as well as providing professional mental health clinical services for children, youth, adults and their families.
“I think it is especially hard in regard to children because there are a lot of people with opinions about what is ‘normal’ but just viewed as abnormal by parents and or schools and what is actually a disorder. “Unfortunately, there are a lot more people with opinions about this than there are people with actual expertise and sound knowledge,” she added.
There are many reasons why the number of children with special needs has increased, including better ability to diagnose conditions like autism and ADHD. Also, less stigma is attached to a diagnosis of learning disability, so parents may be less hesitant to seek special services for their children. Also, as they reach school age, premature babies may have disabilities that fall into one of the 13 categories. More babies are born addicted to drugs; the consequences for the child can have long-term effects on the child. Use of alcohol during pregnancy can harm the baby’s brain.
“There’s also a lot more screening going on in schools now than there used to be,” added Cusworth. “I would guess that these screenings are done with what are called standardized screening tools, which are proven through research to reliably identify whatever problem they are designed to screen for. This may be catching a lot more kids who are struggling and connecting them with a full evaluation.”
The increase in the percentage of students in special ed isn’t necessarily a bad thing, according to experts. It could mean that educators have become better at identifying when students need special services and parents have become less resistant to seeking them out for their children.
If your child is struggling in school, it’s important to find out why. Your child may be eligible for special education that can help. Speak with your child’s teacher or the school’s special education department about an evaluation for your child.