Special Education

A Rising Tide of Disabilities

November 29, 2000 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

See Also

Over the past 25 years, the number of students with disabilities has increased, and new categories of disability have been created.

Categories 1976- 77 1987- 88 1997- 98
Autism1 0 0 42,487
Deaf-blindness1 0 1,426 1,454
Developmental delay1 0 0 1,935
Hearing impairments 55,116 56,742 69,537
Mental retardation 818,718 596,928 602,111
Multiple disabilities1 0 78,588 106,758
Orthopedic impairments 70,566 46,837 67,422
Other health impairments2 115,867 46,013 190,935
(Serious) emotional disturbance3 245,343 372,048 454,363
Specific learning disabilities 782,095 1,937,827 2,748,497
Speech or language impairments 1,170,531 951,512 1,065,074
Visual impairments 26,215 22,769, 26,015
Traumatic brain injury 0 0 11,895
Total, all disabilities1 3,284,019 4,110,690 5,388,483
1These categories were created in amendments to the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act after 1975. 2“Other health impairments” includes attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. 3“Serious emotional disturbance” was renamed “emotional disturbance” in 1997.

A version of this article appeared in the November 29, 2000 edition of Education Week as A Rising Tide of Disabilities

Events

Artificial Intelligence Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: Math & Technology: Finding the Recipe for Student Success
How should we balance AI & math instruction? Join our discussion on preparing future-ready students.
Teaching Profession K-12 Essentials Forum New Insights Into the Teaching Profession
Join this free virtual event to get exclusive insights from Education Week's State of Teaching project.
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Special Education Opinion RFK Jr. Is the Last Person Who Should Be in Charge of Special Education
Here’s why President Trump’s recent announcement sent a chill down the spines of autistic individuals like me.
David Rivera
3 min read
Collaged image of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with brightly colored classroom images in the background.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Rod Lamkey, Jr./AP + Getty Images
Special Education Spotlight Spotlight on Neurodiversity in K12: Supporting Every Learner's Success
This Spotlight will help you explore effective strategies for supporting neurodiverse students, fostering inclusive environments, and more.
Special Education Why Trump's Move to Shift Special Ed. to HHS Is Rattling Educators
Current and former staffers are wary of vague plans to move special education out of the Education Department.
9 min read
Professionals stand on an arrow that shifts from one parallel line to another, illustrating the concept of a realignment. One person is dressed as healthcare professional.
mathisworks/DigitalVision Vectors
Special Education How Schools Make Up for the Feds' Unfulfilled Special Ed. Funding Commitment
Congress has never met a 50-year-old funding commitment it made for special education services.
6 min read
Vector of a teacher hand holding puzzle piece bridging the gap in primary education for children
iStock/Getty Images