By Lateefah S. Williams, Esq.
There are many factors that impact who has access to appropriate special education
services. One of those factors is racism. You may be wondering what role racism plays.
Well, racism impacts who gets diagnosed with a disability, whether the diagnosis is
correct, if they get the necessary accommodations, and, even, whether the teacher is a
trained and licensed special education teacher.
It is important to be diagnosed correctly because that is how special education students
get the support and services they need to thrive in the classroom. Special education
students have different learning needs from one another, so it’s important for a special
education teacher to have a broad range of knowledge about teaching students with
disabilities, unless the teacher is at a school that only teaches students with one specific
disability.
Implicit Bias
Implicit bias is one way that racism impacts special education. Inherent in the word
“implicit,” these teachers or staff members often do not realize they are biased. For
example, a teacher may expect less from a student of color. So, even though the
student is not meeting the goals in their Individualized Education Program (IEP), the
teacher does not intervene, discuss any concerns with the student’s parents, ascertain if
IEP goals are realistic, or some other factor. This type of bias can be hard to pinpoint
because the teacher is usually nice enough to the student, so the student does not
realize what is happening. It often takes an adult to notice that implicit bias is occurring.
This does not mean that all teachers harbor implicit bias towards students of color. But it
happens often enough that teachers, parents, and students should be cognizant of it.
Implicit bias can lead to students being both over-identified and under-identified for
special education services.
Over-Identification as Having a Disability
Over-identification happens when students of color are more likely to be mislabeled and
placed in special education classes, even if the student does not have a disability. For
example, if a teacher implicitly or explicitly believes the false stereotype that Black and
Latino students are more disruptive and have less self-control than other students, then
that teacher such as with ADHD-hyperactive type may disproportionately discipline Black
and Latino students and refer them to behavior-based special education services, for
engaging in childish behavior that is barely noticed in other students. This happens
even if the student does not have the condition. This type of bias is one reason many
parents of color initially do not believe the disability diagnosis, especially if it is a
behavior-based disability, such as ADHD-hyperactive type.
Under-Identification with Having a Disability
Under-identification occurs when students of color who have disabilities are ignored and
not diagnosed at all. Thus, these students do not get the services they need. For
example, let’s say there is a student who appears to not be paying attention and is
always gazing out the window. All too often, students of color with these traits are
labeled as lazy or having a bad attitude, when they actually have a disability, such as
ADHD-inattentive type. In another instance, a student might have dyslexia, but the
teacher and other school personnel may falsely assume the student is having trouble
reading because of a language barrier that does not exist.
Quality of Special Education Services
The quality of special education services that many students of color receive in school is
severely lacking, particularly in under-resourced schools. Even when the students are
correctly identified for special education services, they may not get the same quality of
services as their white peers—particularly those peers who reside in wealthier school
districts. These schools also may not have enough trained special education teachers
or the right materials to help students with disabilities.
Conclusion—What Do We Do?
So, how do we address these problems? First, it’s important for teachers and school
staff to receive training on implicit bias. This can help them recognize any biases that
they may have and, hopefully, take steps to address those biases, as it would lead to
more accurate diagnoses for all students. Another way to avoid bias in special
education diagnoses is to use standardized methods to identify students who may need
special education services.
Additionally, schools need to ensure that all students have access to adequate special
education services. This means providing adequate resources to schools that
predominately serve students of color and are under-resourced.
So, racism can have a big impact on how students are diagnosed and placed in special
education programs. By understanding the implicit bias and working to address it, using
standardized evaluation methods, and providing equal resources, regardless of school
district, we can move much further towards helping all students succeed.
