Who gains and who loses? Sociodemographic disparities in access to special education services among autistic students

Abstract

Little is known about differences in the allocation of special education services to students with autism compared with students with other primary learning differences (e.g., intellectual disability [ID], specific learning disability [SLD]) and the comparative impact of sociodemographic factors on special education service receipt. The present study aimed to compare allocation of services (i.e., quantity and types) between students eligible for special education services under autism, SLD and ID, and to identify differences in sociodemographic predictors (e.g., race, neighborhood income) of service allocation. Data were culled from special education administrative records from a large urban, primarily Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish‐serving school district from academic years 2011–2012 to 2016–2017. Participants included N = 76,428 students (Nautism = 18,151, NSLD = 54,001, NID = 4,276) ages 2–18. Results showed that autistic students received, on average, more services than students with SLD. Services received by students served under autism and SLD eligibility were more congruent with areas of need (e.g., language, occupational therapy) relative to students served under ID. Student‐level socioeconomic status (free and reduced lunch) was more positively predictive of the number of special education services received than the neighborhood income of the school the student attended. Finally, the most significant racial disparities in service allocation were observed among students served under autism eligibility. The present study demonstrates the critical role of economic resources in the quantity and types of services received, and the desirability of a public education for well‐resourced families who are possibly best situated to navigate special education services. Lay Summary An eligibility of autism in special education confers a significant advantage in the number of services a student receives. Disparity in the quantity of special education services exists among autistic students across many sociodemographic factors. Most notably, greater allocation of services to non‐Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish, White American, European American, or Middle Eastern American students and students who do not receive free and reduced lunch.

Addressing the Need for Training More School Psychologists to Serve Toddlers and Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders

“…In addition, given that children with ASD come from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds, assuring that student school psychologists are trained in understanding cultural differences and practicing in a culturally competent manner is paramount in assessing and delivering treatment strategies within EIBI programming (Mathur & Rodriguez, 2021). This is particularly important for addressing the disparities in access to services that are well-documented across diverse groups (e.g., Bilaver et al, 2021;Sturm et al, 2021). Further, delivering comprehensive care to children with ASD requires interprofessional collaboration and often interagency collaboration, thus educating students within a collaborative framework will model and inform this "real-world" delivery of care process while learning the various roles and impact of interprofessional care (McClain et al, 2021).…”

Disparities in Special Education Services for Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder in the United States

“…Indicators of low socioeconomic status (e.g., household income and parent education level) are associated with a decreased likelihood of a child with ASD receiving special education services and supports (Boswell et al, 2014). In addition, younger students and students with intellectual disability (ID) are more likely to receive special education services (Sturm et al, 2021).…”