A profile of students with special needs in Alberta
Students with special needs require instructional supports to reach their full potential. This report used administrative data to profile about 72,000 Albertan students (kindergarten to 12th grade) with special needs between 2005/06 and 2010/11. Analyses examined these individuals’ sociodemographic characteristics and public service use patterns based on their grade year and disability type. This report found that (1) the highest proportion of students with special needs lived in Northeast Alberta, (2) a greater proportion of students with special needs were male, performed below educational expectations, lived in the lowest socioeconomic neighbourhoods, moved residences, and were high-cost health and mental health users than those without special needs. This report also found that student's public service use patterns significantly varied by disability type. These findings provide policy-relevant evidence that public authorities may consider as they seek to better support students with special needs.