title: Social determinants of state variation in special education participation among preschoolers with developmental delays and disabilities.
abstract: Children with developmental disabilities are at risk for secondary complications and lower academic performance, which contributes to lower health and well-being and may be ameliorated by access to special education services. This paper examines state variability in preschool special education participation among a United States population-based cohort with parent-reported developmental delays and disabilities. Analyses explore the extent to which observed variability can be explained by state socio-economic attributes and special education policy and funding. Rates of special education varied significantly across states and were highest in states with least income inequality and lowest in states with most income inequality. Place variation in preschool special education participation stems, in part, from child characteristics, but to a larger extent, from state socio-economic attributes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. mcmanus2@wisc.edu
authors.forename: Beth M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: McManus
authors.forename: Adam C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Carle
authors.forename: Dolores
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Acevedo-Garcia
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ganz
authors.forename: Penny
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hauser-Cram
authors.forename: Marie C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: McCormick
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D002658:Developmental Disabilities; D004519:Education, Special / Q000191:economics; D004608:Eligibility Determination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013219:State Government; D014481:United States