Research suggests that whilst not more likely to offend, autistic people are overrepresented within the Criminal Justice System. To date, prevalence estimates are available only for male autistic offenders. Thus, this research aimed to provide the prison-reported rate of autistic female prisoners currently residing in the female prison estate in…

This study examines the disproportionality in special education, regarding African American students being overrepresented, specifically under the disability category of Emotional Disturbance (ED) within the state of Pennsylvania. Demographic information was collected with the use of secondary data provided by the Pennsylvania Department of…

Black males are disproportionately placed in special education throughout the United States. Yet, the degree to which such disparities are warranted has been subject to debate. Prior research suggests that special education is used too often in high-poverty schools partly due to limited resources available to support struggling students (Skiba et…

Autism spectrum disorder is diagnosed more in males than females, this difference is even more prevalent if the female is of at least average intelligence. The problem addressed by this qualitative exploratory case study was the under-identification of females with autism due to their masking behavior. This problem directly impacts females who…

In 2017-18, the number of learners ages 3-21 who received special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was 7.0 million, or 14% of all public-school learners. Of that 7.0 million, 13% were Hispanic learners (NCES, 2019). Among ELLs with disabilities, nearly 50% had specific learning disability, and 21%…

The issue of disproportionality, or the over-representation of students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in special education, has long been a challenge for school districts. This issue predates the implementation of PL 94-192. School building administrators are seen as agents of change, responsible for setting expectations…

Disproportionality in special education is a complex issue adversely impacting African-American students. African-American students experience disproportionality in referral to special education and identification with a disability, removing them from the general education setting and resulting in denial of access and socialization with their…

This study aims to investigate gender differences in the identification for special educational needs services within the context of England. Gender disparities in disability identification have long been of concern, impacting tailored support and opportunities for female students. By utilising population-level data, we seek to ascertain the…

Existing literature has shown that disproportionality in special education remains a persistent and significant issue that has garnered attention in educational research. Asian American students were found to be underrepresented in the identification of Specific Learning Disability (SLD). The consequences of disproportionality can be detrimental,…

The purpose of this non-experimental correlational quantitative study was to examine the relationship between race and special education under the disability category of ED for kindergarten through 12th-grade students in four school districts in the greater Houston area. The study had three research questions regarding racial representation, the…

This qualitative narrative study explored the perceptions of public-school general education teachers on the training they received for referring students to special education. Two key aspects of this were investigated: (1) navigating the special education referral process, and (2) using individualized interventions that are effective with African…

This study examined special education numbers for public school populations of White, Black, and Hispanic students in New York State and factors hypothesized to contribute to identification and subsequent disproportionality of minority students in special education. Data from the Civil Rights Data Collection (CDRC), combined with data from the…

The purpose of this research study was to investigate the perspectives of educational diagnosticians regarding male and female students receiving special education services in central Texas public schools. Since educational diagnosticians are the professionals who determine if students are eligible for special education services by administering…

Growing numbers of students are educated in charter schools, including students with disabilities (SWD). Prior research suggests that charter schools educate a smaller percentage of SWD than traditional public schools, leading to a special education gap between sectors. We used data from a large urban district to examine how choice, mobility, and…

It is widely acknowledged that girls are less likely to receive an autism diagnosis compared to boys (Gould, J. 2017. "Towards Understanding the Under-Recognition of Girls and Women on the Autism Spectrum." "Autism" 21 (6): 703-705), with growing recognition that girls are underserved by the current clinical diagnostic…