Orthopaedically Handicapped Students in Public and Private High Schools

Abstract

Of the 26,142 American twelfth grade students for whom survey data from the national High School and Beyondstudy were complete, 353 (1.4%) identified themselves as having orthopaedic handicaps. Data on these orthopaedically handicapped (OH) twelfth graders (sixth form) were compared to those on their non‐orthopaedically‐handicapped (NOH) peers. The OH students had a higher incidence of other impairments, and black youngsters were under‐represented in the OH cohort. Academically, the OH and NOH groups fared equally well; the OH pupils, however, evidenced certain difficulties in self‐esteem, control locus, and school/work orientation. Speculations regarding the results are offered.