Educational identification of students with serious emotional disability and/or autism spectrum disorder: how current practices perpetuate disproportionality

Abstract

Abstract Special educational eligibility evaluations are focused on identifying students who have a disability that adversely impacts their access to general education. Sociocultural factors (such as race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, parent education) confer disproportionality in access to special education and within specific eligibility categories. Although these challenges likely impact students across all eligibility categories specified by federal law, this review focuses on two eligibility classifications that are differentially impacted by sociocultural influences: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Serious Emotional Disability (SED). Understanding these influences may help guide efforts to remediate disparities in special education service provision.