A Comparison of Prevalence Rate Variability from State to State for Each of the Categories of Special Education

Abstract

Concerns about the definitions and identification criteria for special education categories, particularly learning disabilities, are a continuing subject of Abate in the profession. Vagueness in definitions and inconsistent criteria for learning disabilities have been said to hamper research and the delively of services, and to be partly responsible fm the tremenhus prevalence ratepwth of some categories. One measure considered by some to be an indication of these definition and identification problems is the variability of prevalence rates among states. Some have stated that prevalence rates are more variable fir the higher pvalence categories, such as learning disabilities, than for the low prevalence categories. This observation, however, h e s not take into account the effects of the size of the means on the variability. When this effect is contmlled for; the higher prevalence categories are no more variable as a pup than the lower ones; in fact the variability within some higher prevalence categories is the lowest of all. The possible reasons for and implications of these findings are discussed.

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