Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service

Overview

The purpose of this study was to find out if students who have IEPs do more unsafe things than students who do not have IEPs.

The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) is a national survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that monitors certain risky health behaviors among youth. Since 2013, Connecticut has added a supplemental question to the national questionnaire that asks student participants if they are receiving special education services as part of an individualized education plan or IEP. Data were requested from Connecticut Department of Public Health. The purpose of this secondary analysis was to assess if special education is a risk factor for engaging in health risk behaviors.

Accomplishments

• Findings from 2013, 2015, and 2017 data were presented as part of a panel presentation at the 2019 Association of University Centers on Disabilities annual conference
• Findings from 2013, 2015, and 2017 data were presented as a poster at the 2019 American Public Health Association annual conference
• Study Featured in Trinity College Article - Connecticut Teens with Disabilities are Bullied More Than Peers, Study Finds | Trinity College (trincoll.edu)