Special Education What the Research Says

Disabilities More Common in Rural Areas

By Corey Mitchell — March 10, 2020 1 min read
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Children in rural areas are more likely to have developmental disabilities and are less likely to receive special education or early-intervention services than children living in urban areas, says a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The study from the center’s National Center for Health Statistics found that almost 20 percent of children ages 3 to 17 in rural areas qualified for a developmental-disability diagnosis, compared with 17 percent of children in urban areas.

A version of this article appeared in the March 11, 2020 edition of Education Week as Disabilities More Common in Rural Areas

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