Part B Information

This section includes the following data about children receiving IDEA Part B Services:

• Disability category

• Educational environment

• State assessments

Disability Category

Disability category refers to the primary disability listed on the child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) and/or service plan. The most common disability categories in 2021 were:

• Multiple Disabilities (33%)

• Deaf-Blindness (17%)

• Hearing Impairment (9%)

• Other Health Impairment (7%)

• Visual Impairment (4%)

• Intellectual Disability (6%)

As noted in the introduction to this report, there is a large difference between the number of children identified as deaf-blind in the National Deaf-Blind Child Count and the number identified in the IDEA Part B count. The fact that only 17% were identified as having deaf-blindness in the 2021 IDEA Part B count underscores this discrepancy, which occurs because IDEA Part B reporting regulations instruct states to count children only when a child has deafness and blindness and no other disabilities.

The difference between the two counts is important because approximately 87% of the children in the National Deaf-Blind Child Count have one or more additional disabilities. It is common for children with deaf-blindness to be listed under a different disability category on the IDEA Part B child count depending on the severity of the additional disabilities they experience.

Educational Environment

The percentage of young children, aged 3 to 5, educated in regular early childhood education settings for some portion of the day was 42% in 2021. The percentage of children aged 6 to 21 being served at least a portion of the day in a regular classroom was 62%.