Sturm Alexandra, Williams Justin, Kasari Connie
University of California, Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Department of Psychology, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California, USA.
Autism Res. 2021 Aug;14(8):1621-1632. doi: 10.1002/aur.2517. Epub 2021 Apr 26.
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 (N = 18,151, N = 54,001, N = 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.
与患有其他主要学习差异（如智力残疾[ID]、特定学习障碍[SLD]）的学生相比，关于为自闭症学生提供特殊教育服务的分配差异以及社会人口因素对接受特殊教育服务的比较影响，人们了解得很少。本研究旨在比较自闭症、SLD和ID类别下符合特殊教育服务资格的学生之间的服务分配情况（即数量和类型），并确定服务分配的社会人口预测因素（如种族、邻里收入）的差异。数据取自一个大型城市学区（主要为西班牙裔、拉丁裔或提供西班牙语服务）2011 - 2012学年至2016 - 2017学年的特殊教育行政记录。参与者包括76428名2至18岁的学生（自闭症学生18151名、SLD学生54001名、ID学生4276名）。结果表明，自闭症学生平均比SLD学生接受更多服务。相对于ID类别下的学生，自闭症和SLD类别下的学生所接受的服务在需求领域（如语言、职业治疗）方面更为匹配。学生层面的社会经济地位（免费和减价午餐）比学生就读学校所在邻里的收入更能积极预测接受特殊教育服务的数量。最后，在自闭症类别下的学生中观察到服务分配方面最显著的种族差异。本研究表明经济资源在接受服务的数量和类型方面的关键作用，以及为资源充足的家庭提供公共教育的可取性，这些家庭可能最有能力应对特殊教育服务。通俗总结：在特殊教育中，自闭症资格使学生在接受服务的数量上具有显著优势。在许多社会人口因素方面，自闭症学生在特殊教育服务数量上存在差异。最明显的是，更多的服务分配给了非西班牙裔、拉丁裔或西班牙裔白人、美国白人、欧美裔或中东裔美国人，以及那些不享受免费和减价午餐的学生。
