A quantitative analysis of special needs with emphasis on speech and hearing in the Boston Public Schools

The purpose of the study was to develop a demographic profile and to analyze the patterns formed by the primary prototypes and educational goals used to educate public-school children with special needs. The emphasis was on communicative disorders. The study was initiated in order to supplement the limited research which examines the impact and effectiveness of service delivery for special needs (mainstreamed) children. The results indicated that (a) the special needs of the school children were not in close proportion to their racial distribution; (b) the speech and hearing needs were in alignment and in proportion to the racial distribution; (c) the number of children in the school population receiving services was higher than the number found in related studies; and (d) the analyses for goodness-of-fit revealed statistical significance for race and educational goals and prototypes and educational goals. It was also found that the need for special services decreased with age. The findings were discussed in terms of the limitations of the study and implications of the nonlabeling requirements of Massachusetts' Special Education Law.