Disparities in the Enrollment and Timing of Special Education for Asian American and Pacific Islander Students

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are consistently underrepresented in special education. This study used ten years of longitudinal data from ten cohorts of kindergartners in a school district to examine if there were any differences among ethnic subgroups of AAPIs. The researcher disaggregated special education participation trends and timing of services for 11 AAPI ethnic subgroups. The results of this analysis showed that most AAPI ethnic subgroups were underrepresented in special education and they began receiving services later than their White peers.