ADHD among Students Receiving Special Education Services: A National Survey

Abstract

Relatively little is known about attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among students receiving special education in terms of their demographic characteristics, instructional settings, and programming, nor about how these factors differ from students with disabilities who do not have ADHD. Data from the Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study (SEELS), a nationally representative study of students receiving special education, show that students with ADHD now constitute the majority of students in the categories of emotional disturbance and other health impairment. Hispanic students were underrepresented. Students with ADHD were more likely to receive accommodations and services.