A 16-Year Review of Participant Diversity in Intervention Research Across a Selection of 12 Special Education Journals

Abstract

Given the continued changes in demographic diversity of students in the United States, it is important to ensure that participants included in special education research reflect the diversity of the classroom. We examined 16 years of intervention research across 12 special education journals to evaluate the extent to which diverse student populations (e.g., race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, English language learner status) were included in published intervention research. We analyzed 495 intervention articles (9.6%) out of 5,180 total articles. Results revealed that progress has been made in the inclusion of diverse participants in special education intervention research compared with previously conducted reviews, yet some racial and ethnic populations are still underrepresented. We discuss strategies for recruitment and retention of underrepresented diverse populations.

Examining the Impact of Personal Factors on Scores on the Self‐Determination Inventory: Adult Report in Adults with Disabilities

“…This occurred despite efforts in recruitment to target groups that supported potential respondents from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. It is important to develop and implement research recruitment protocols that foster the participation of diverse groups so that these perspectives are included in research (Sinclair et al, 2018); this issue may be particularly salient in adulthood given different recruitment strategies that must be utilized if schools are not an entry point for soliciting participation.…”

Augmentative and Alternative Communication for Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disability: A Mega-Review of the Literature

“…Reporting this information is crucial not only to answer the question of for whom does this intervention work, but also to assist researchers working to identify mediators and moderators of intervention effectiveness. This paucity of race/ethnicity reporting possibly reflects the need for greater participant diversity in special education research (Sinclair et al, 2018 ). Non-binary gender identifications were not reported in any of the reviews, further contributing to the oppression and erasure of the identities of individuals with multiple sites for marginalization (Duke, 2011 ), or intersectionality (Crenshaw et al, 1996 ).…”

Recommendations for Diversifying Racial and Ethnic Representation in Autism Intervention Research: A Crossover Review of Recruitment and Retention Practices in Pediatric Mental Health

“…Disparities in diagnosis and access to healthcare and therapeutic services are well-documented for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from minoritized races and ethnicities [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]. Moreover, there is little empirical research to guide the selection and implementation of interventions and practices that will effectively support racially/ethnically diverse children with ASD and their families [ 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”