The effects of biological and social risk factors on special education placement: birth weight and maternal education as an example.

The effects of birth weight (BW) and maternal education (ME) on special education placement at age 10 were studied. Epidemiologic methods quantified risk to the individual and to the population using an electronically linked, county-wide database of birth and school records. A dose-response relationship was found between BW and ME. High ME may serve as a buffer for children with a biological risk for developmental delays. A clinically important finding was that children born with very low BW to mothers with low ME were at a high level of individual risk for receiving special education services. However, such children accounted for a small number of the overall cases. The largest percentage of children receiving special education services had the single risk factor of low ME. From a public policy standpoint, children born to mothers with low levels of education are an important group to target for early intervention.