Gender bias and imbalance: girls in US special education programmes

Abstract

While research has documented the predominance of boys in US special education programmes, similar attention to girls’ under‐representation has been rare. Recent research suggests that there may be just as many girls in need of these services, but for various reasons they are less likely to be identified through the referral process. Girls who fail to receive services are more likely to become teenage mothers, less likely to become employed and more likely to require public assistance. This article explores this pressing equity issue through a content analysis of recent US studies on gender and disability, examines current reasons for this phenomenon, and what it means for the lived school experiences of girls with disabilities. Suggestions on how theory, policy and practice can better serve this under‐represented population are presented.

Keywords:

• gender
• disability
• girls
• special education
• gender bias
• boys

Notes

1. New regulations to Title IX were issued by the Office of Civil Rights in October 2006. In part, they now permit single‐sex classrooms in public schools for the purposes of providing diverse educational opportunities and meeting the particular, identified educational needs of its students. The implications of this provision are explored in the ‘Future research’ section of this paper.