Are school psychologists' special education eligibility decisions reliable and unbiased?: A multi-study experimental investigation

Structural, Institutional, and Interpersonal Racism: Calling for Equity in Autism Research and Practice

Disparities in autism research and practices based on race and ethnicity are evident across many outcomes and life course stages. However, most of the research has focused on outlining differences and not the underlying systemic inequities driving these disparities. In this conceptual paper, we aim to shift the focus by outlining mechanisms of structural racism within the institutions of science, healthcare, and residential segregation and educational systems in the United States (U.S.). We argue that these and other forms of institutional racism constitute structural racism that are influencing the racial and ethnic disparities we see in autism services and care. For each of these institutions, we identify institutional racism related to autism and offer an example of how it shapes interpersonal racism and adverse outcomes, including misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, unequal access to educational services, and differential treatment in clinical encounters. We then provide anti-racism approaches in autism research and practice for each of these institutions that addresses institutional and interpersonal racism shaping autism inequities among racial and ethnic minorities. We conclude with a call to action to clinicians, researchers, and others to prioritize and disrupt the impacts of structural, institutional, and interpersonal racism through targeted anti-racism approaches.

Caregiver Perceptions of Social Communication and Interaction: Development and Validation of the SCIPS

Social communication and interaction (SC/I) skill quality may be influenced by cultural values, norms, and expectations. Because difficulties in SC/I is a core criterion for identifying autism and is a frequent construct of interest in autism research, a measure designed to capture cross-cultural differences in the perspectives of SC/I skills is warranted. To address this need we developed and validated the Social Communication and Interaction Perceptions Scale (SCIPS), a caregiver report measure for children ages 6-18 years, that measures both frequency and perceived importance of various SC/I skills. Results from 401 diverse caregiver participants showed that for both domains (i.e., Frequency and Importance) the SCIPS has good reliability (α = 0.88-0.95) and two factors that examine basic and advanced aspects of SC/I skills. Findings support the use of the SCIPS as a measure of caregiver perspectives of SC/I skills in clinical and research contexts.

Autism disproportionality in racially and ethnically minoritized and girl students in schools

LAY ABSTRACT

Special education services are important for helping autistic students succeed, but many racially and ethnically minoritized and girl students face difficulties in getting support because they are not identified appropriately in schools. This study looks at the identification of autism in racially and ethnically minoritized and girl students across schools in the United States during the 2019-2020 school year. We found that girls are less likely to be identified compared to boys, which means they might not get the help they need. The gap between racially and ethnically minoritized students and White students in autism identification has improved slightly, but Latinx students still face challenges. We also found that where students live (their locale) affects their chances of being identified, especially for girls and Latinx students. These findings show that there are disparities in school autism identification, and understanding them can help policymakers, educators, and communities make changes to ensure all autistic students get the support they need.

Review of State Policies and Guidance for the Identification of Culturally and Linguistically Minoritized Students With Specific Learning Disabilities

The identification of specific learning disabilities (SLD) remains fraught with controversy and uncertainty about professionals' capacity to appropriately identify special education eligibility. For students from linguistically minoritized backgrounds, the exclusionary clause prohibits the identification of learning difficulties primarily attributable to contextual or linguistic factors. Yet the ambiguity of the federal language may hinder application, making critical states' interpretation and corresponding guidance for professional practice in eligibility determination. In this archival study, we systematically reviewed state departments' education policies and related guidance on the identification of multilingual learners with SLD, with a focus on how states have articulated policies and procedures related to the federal exclusionary clause. Our findings demonstrate variability and depth of information across states pertaining to guidance regarding the exclusionary clause. Implications for practice and policy are provided.

Initial Evaluation Practices to Identify Young Children with Delays and Disabilities

The value of early intervention is well demonstrated; however, less is known about the processes that initial evaluation teams use to evaluate and determine young children's eligibility for early intervention (EI) and preschool special education. The present study surveyed multidisciplinary early childhood providers (N = 1445) who conduct initial evaluations for young children. Quantitative survey data were analyzed using descriptive analyses to describe the location of initial evaluations, tools used, team membership, and approaches to eligibility determination for children with possible delays and disabilities. Evaluation practices varied greatly, but evaluation teams most often included early childhood special educators and speech and language pathologists, school psychologists or other specialists were less frequently involved. Eligibility approaches were also wide-ranging with percentage delay and standard deviation below the mean most often used; several challenges when determining eligibility were also described. Evaluations for EI and preschool special education were compared to look at variations. Statistically significant differences were found when comparing evaluations focused on eligibility for EI or preschool special education. Implications and future directions are explored.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40688-023-00467-3.

Review of curriculum-based measurement in mathematics: An update and extension of the literature

The purpose of this literature review on curriculum-based measurement in mathematics (CBM-M) was to update and extend the Foegen et al. (2007) progress monitoring in mathematics review. We included 99 studies focused on at least one of the three stages of CBM research (i.e., one point in time [screening], repeatedly over time [progress monitoring], and instructional utility) in mathematics for students in preschool through Grade 12. The results of this review indicated that researchers have increased the amount of research conducted at the early mathematics and secondary levels; however, many studies focused on the stages of CBM research are still conducted at the elementary level. The results also demonstrated that most studies (k = 85; 85.9%) were focused on Stage 1, with fewer studies reporting results related to Stage 2 (k = 40; 40.4%) and Stage 3 (k = 5; 5.1%). The results of this literature review also underscore that although considerable growth has been achieved in the past 15 years in CBM-M development and reporting, next steps in research include a focus on investigating the uses of CBM-M for progress monitoring and instructional decision making.

The education context for twice-exceptional students: An overview of issues in special and gifted education

Twice-exceptional children (2e) identified as having a disability and areas of high ability require a diverse range of support and enrichment services. However, services associated with special education and gifted programs present numerous barriers to the appropriate education of 2e students. In this manuscript, the author briefly recounts his experiences as a 2e child and shares experiences of 2e students and their families presented at the 2021 Summit on the Neuroscience of Twice Exceptionality. Challenges associated with the provision of special and gifted education to 2e students are also described. The role of neuroscience in education, as it relates to 2e students, is also discussed. Although many of the barriers to effective education for 2e children are systemic in nature, school-level reforms, as well as scientific advances, have the potential to improve services for this population.

Quantifying the intersection of disability and homelessness in Massachusetts public schools in 2018-2019

BACKGROUND

Homelessness has a major impact on the educational and health trajectories of children. Youth with disabilities may be especially vulnerable to experiencing homelessness, but little epidemiological work has been done to characterize dual disparity. Our goal was to describe the relationship between homelessness and disability among students (age 3-21) receiving public education in Massachusetts in 2018-2019. We evaluated the proportion of students with and without disabilities experiencing homelessness by county and school district.

METHODS

We used publicly available data from the United States and Massachusetts Department's of Education. These data used the McKinney Vento Homelessness Assistance Act definition of homelessness which is a lack of fixed, adequate, and regular housing, and disability was determined by the presence of an individualized education program or individualized family service plan. We calculated percentages of students with and without disabilities experiencing homelessness at the state, county, and district level and calculated and mapped risk of homelessness comparing students and without disability. We also determined the occurrence of disability among those experiencing homelessness.

RESULTS

In Massachusetts public schools, 3.5% of students with disabilities experienced homelessness compared with 2.4% of students without disabilities (relative risk 1.50, 95% CI: 1.47, 1.53). A greater proportion of students with disabilities experienced homelessness compared with students without disabilities in all counties. In sum, 24.8% of students experiencing homelessness had a reported disability.

CONCLUSIONS

In Massachusetts public schools, a greater proportion of students with disabilities experience homelessness compared with students without disabilities, and disability is common among students experiencing homelessness. We hypothesize potential mechanisms, such as the financial cost of disability, that may lead to this finding. Findings support the need for additional funding and interventions for school districts and communities to better serve vulnerable students with disabilities experiencing homelessness.

Influences of student race/ethnicity and gender on autism special education classification considerations

LAY ABSTRACT

Autism prevalence has continued to rise in recent years. However, females and children from Black, Latinx, and Asian backgrounds are often misidentified or identified less often than White males. These identification disparities make it difficult for children to receive appropriate special education and school intervention services. In this study, school psychologists read a vignette featuring a student with possible autism symptoms. The vignette varied by student race/ethnicity and gender. Afterward, participants rated the likelihood that they would classify the student with autism and their confidence in this rating. Student race/ethnicity and gender influenced both classification likelihood and confidence. These results suggest that school psychologists are influenced by implicit bias and do not fully consider cultural factors in school autism evaluations. This may contribute to identification disparities.

The Soft Skills of Special Education Teachers: Evidence from the Literature

The special education teacher is a key element in the development of the process of inclusive education. In this setting, soft skills have proven to be determinant in teachers’ educational action. However, those that best qualify their profile have not yet been identified. Therefore, this study aims to carry out a review of scientific production between the years 2010 and 2020. To this end, articles were selected using the following databases: ERIC, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO. Studies have been included in the review that point out as soft skills: resilience, reflexibility, empathy, collaborative work, self-efficacy, creativity, and effective communication. Only studies that presented such criteria were included in the analysis. After the application of the eligibility criteria, seven articles were considered. From the analysis, it emerges that effective communication, collaborative work, and reflexibility stand out. There are gaps in this area in the specialized training of these teachers. Thus, it is suggested that there should be investment in this area in the training programs of the schools that certify them; and that, at the research level, instruments should be developed to evaluate the model emerging from this review.

Assessing the Impact of Sequential Data Presentation on Specific Learning Disabilities Identification Decisions Using Patterns of Strengths and Weaknesses Methods

Patterns of strengths and weaknesses represent relatively novel methods for identifying specific learning disabilities (SLD) with proponents asserting that the incorporation of multiple sources of assessment data and professional judgment play a key role in their utility. In this study, we examined if the sequential presentation of assessment data impacted school psychologists’ ratings as to whether or not hypothetical students depicted in special education evaluation vignettes should be identified with SLD. Results showed that when participants viewed vignettes that were indicative of SLD (i.e., SLD positive), SLD likelihood ratings increased with the additional presentation of assessment data sources over time. However, when participants viewed vignettes that were indicative of a student not having SLD (i.e., SLD negative), SLD likelihood ratings were relatively consistent over time. Moreover, participants demonstrated relatively high levels of confidence in their SLD identification decisions, and in SLD negative vignettes, confidence increased after the fourth assessment data source was presented. Implications for SLD identification are discussed.

School-Based Autism Rates by State: An Analysis of Demographics, Political Leanings, and Differential Identification

We reviewed federal special education data to determine school-identified prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other disability categories by U.S. state. We also examined whether state-level policies, demographic factors, and rates of other eligibility categories are predictive of these state ASD rates. Results indicate that overall, 1 of 81 school-aged children are served under an ASD special education eligibility. State-level demographic factors, such as socioeconomic status and political leanings were highly predictive of rates of ASD. States with higher rates of ASD had lower rates of intellectual and learning disabilities, but higher rates of Other Health Impairment (OHI).