The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to more than 7.5 million (as of school year 2020-21) eligible infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities, including behavioral health disabilities. Children and youth ages 3 through 21 receive special education and related services under IDEA Part B.

Data on Students Served Under IDEA, Part B (from U.S. Department of Education’s 2022 Annual Report to Congress)

  • In 2020, 9.7% of 6- through 21-year-olds nationwide were receiving special education services under IDEA. Just over 80,000 school-age students were receiving services in Connecticut.
  • In 2020, the most prevalent disability category of students ages 5 (school age) through 21 served under IDEA, Part B, was specific learning disability (34.9%). The next most common disability category was speech or language impairment (17.8 percent), followed by other health impairment (16.5 percent), autism (11.6 percent), intellectual disability (6.1 percent), and emotional disturbance (5.2 percent). The “other disabilities combined” category accounted for the remaining 7.9% of school-age students served under IDEA.
  • In 2020, for all disabilities, school-age (5-21) American Indian or Alaska Native students, Black or African American students, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander students, Hispanic/Latino students, and students associated with two or more races were more likely to be served under IDEA, Part B, than were school-age students in all other racial/ethnic groups combined.
  • Most students with disabilities are being educated in regular school buildings, and over half are in regular classrooms for at least 80% of the day. However, 15-20% of students with disabilities spend less than 40% of their day in a regular classroom.

Click the link below to view the most recent IDEA reports submitted by Connecticut’s state Department of Education. You can also view national-level IDEA data here.