Disparities in School Discipline Practices for Students with Emotional and Learning Disabilities and Autism

Abstract

Numerous researchers have explored discipline practices in schools in the United States and have found racial disparities as well as the disproportionate use of exclusionary practices for students with disabilities. However, less attention has been paid to students with a subgroup of disabilities, including emotional disturbances, learning disabilities, and autism. We compared rates of suspension, expulsion, referral to law enforcement, and drop out among students with and without those particular disabilities within the Chicago Public Schools system to see if there were disparities. We hypothesized that students with these specified disabilities would experience higher rates of exclusionary discipline practices. We conducted a series of chisquare analyses using system-wide data and determined that students with these disabilities were suspended, expelled, referred to law enforcement, and dropped out at higher rates than those without disabilities. The magnitude of these disparities varied as a function of the specific disciplinary practice and the disability type. We provide suggestions for future research in addition to alternatives to exclusionary discipline.

Criminal Behavior and School Discipline in Juvenile Justice-Involved Youth with Autism

“…Moreover, relationships between school-based discipline incidents and JJS involvement are especially important to study among students with disabilities (SWD; i.e. students who have physical, behavioral, developmental, emotional, and/or cognitive impairments affecting educational performance) since SWD receive more suspensions and expulsions when compared to their non-disabled peers (Miller and Meyers 2015; U.S. Department of Education, 2014).…”

“…Department of Education, 2014). Specifically, SWD have been reported to be two times more likely to receive one or more expulsions, two times more likely to receive one or more in-school suspensions (ISS), two times more likely to receive an out-of-school suspension (OSS), and are forty-five times more likely to receive more than one OSS compared to their non-disabled peers (Miller and Meyers 2015; U.S. Department of Education, 2014).…”

“…When analyzing reasons for expulsion, one study found that SWD with emotional disturbance (ED), specific learning disability, or autism violated similar types of school policies as their nondisabled peers (Miller and Meyers 2015). These school policies included: drug violations, aggravated battery, intimidation, threat of violence or bullying, and weapon violations.…”

“…Differences among the groups were only apparent with regard to gang activity and battery that resulted in physical injury. SWD were more frequently involved in gang activity whereas their nondisabled peers were more frequently involved in battery that resulted in physical injury (Miller and Meyers 2015).…”

“…However, empirical evidence regarding potential links between school discipline and criminal behavior among youth with autism specifically is sparse, particularly because most available research and reports from education agencies do not typically disaggregate data for youth who have autism from the larger group of SWD. Fortunately, one recent study attempted to look at suspension rates among specific disabilities categories (Miller and Meyers 2015). Interestingly, this study found that students with autism were least likely to receive ISS or OSS when compared to students with ED or a learning disability.…”