Prevalence of adoptees among special education populations

A statewide survey of public and private schools was conducted to determine the prevalence of adoptees among children classified for educational purposes as neurologically impaired (NI), perceptually impaired (PI), or emotionally disturbed (ED). Results indicated that adopted children were overrepresented in these special education populations, accounting for 6.7% of NI students, 5.4% of PI students, and 7.2% of ED students. Implications of the findings for educational and clinical intervention are discussed.