Who are the Children in Special Education? (continued)

Almost twice as many children in the general population live in more affluent households with incomes of more than $75,000 compared to children with disabilities. Added to the challenges associated with disability, the negative effects of poverty can limit the chances of success for children with disabilities.

Household Income of Students with Disabilities and Students in the General Population

(a) Income in 1999 of households of children with disabilities ages 6 to 13.

(b) Income in 1997 of households with children ages 6 to 17.

What Does All This Mean?

These initial findings from SEELS give a demographic overview of school-age children with disabilities. In essence, it tells us basic information about the children in special education and their families.

We do not, as yet, know the implications, if any, of personal characteristics on the effectiveness of special education for these students. As the study progresses and children move through the school system, more information on their growth and performance will become known. We expect to see connections that demonstrate the interplay of all factors, personal and school, that affect a child's success.

SEELS is collaborating with other U.S Department of Education studies, such as the NEILS and the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2). Information from all three studies is available at these Web sites:

SEELS: www.seels.net
NEILS: www.sri.com/neils/
NLTS2: www.nlts2.org/

More findings from the SEELS study will be made available on the SEELS Web site in the near future. Please visit the SEELS site for complete reports from the study. Findings will be continuously updated and expanded through 2005.

References

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Catts, H.W. (1993). The relationship between speech-language impairments and reading disabilities. Journal of Speech and Hearing Research, 36, 948-958.

Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics (FIFCFS). (2001). America's children: Key indicators of well-being, 2001. Washington, DC: Author.

Hebbeler, K., Wagner, M., Spiker, D., Scarborough, A., Simeonsson, R., & Collier, M. (2001). A first look at the characteristics of children and families entering early intervention services. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.

Marder, C., & Cox, R. (1991). More than a label: Characteristics of youth with disabilities. In M. Wagner, L. Newman, R. D'Amico, E.D. Jay, P. Butler-Nalin, C. Marder, & R. Cox, Youth with disabilities: How are they doing? Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.

Shaywitz, S.E., & Shaywitz, B.A. (2001). The neurobiology of reading and dyslexia. Focus on Basics, 5, 11-15.

Smith, S. (1995). No easy answers (Rev. ed.). New York: Bantam.

U. S. Census Bureau. (1999, October). Current population survey. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce.

Wagner, M., Levine, P., Cameto, R., Cadwallader, T.W., Marder, C., & Blackorby, J., with Cardoso, D. (2002, June). The individual and household characteristics of youth with disabilities: A report from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.