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Abstract. This study examined prevalence and relative risk of school-based autism identification by race, and the relations of each to state characteristics. The sample was drawn from general and special education enrollment data for students ages-21 in 46 states during the 2008-2009 academic year. The results show that 1 in 228 students nationwide was identified with autism for special education eligibility, but there was substantial variability across states, with some states nine times more likely to identify students with autism than others. There were significant differences in prevalence between racial groups at the state level. Hispanic and American Indian/Alaskan Native students were often less likely to be identified with autism relative to White students, whereas Asian/Pacific Islander students were commonly more likely to be identified with autism than White students. Regression analysis indicated systemic predictors of prevalence and minority relative risk varied. Implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed.
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Public awareness of autism has esca- lated in recent years along with alarm about rapidly rising prevalence estimates. Autism is viewed as a national public health concern with an estimated national cost of $90 billion annually, which led to the passage of Combat- ing Autism Act of 2006 to coordinate research and service activities across nine federal agen- cies (Office of Autism Research Coordination [OARC], 2010). Schools are increasingly challenged to meet the needs of these students, but there has been less attention within the empirical literature to school-based identifica- tion of autism, and even less consideration of racial disparities. Yet appropriate identifica- tion is critical because of the utility of early intervention and the necessity of special edu- cation eligibility to receive individualized ser- vices in schools (Eldevik, Hastings, Hughes, Jahr, Eikeseth, & Cross, 2009; Reichow, 2012). Further, racial disparities in identifica- tion and treatment in other areas of special education are well documented and have in- formed federal and state policy (Albrecht, Skiba, Losen, Chung, & Middelberg, 2012; Donovan & Cross, 2002; Ford, 2012). The present study examined (1) prevalence of au- tism in special education, (2) racial differences in autism prevalence among children and youth identified for special education, and (3) the relations of prevalence and relative risk to state characteristics.
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Autism spectrum...