The Lifelong Consequences of Intellectual Disability and Special Needs Education: Causal Impacts on Earnings, Education, and Health
Each year, thousands of children are evaluated for intellectual disability (ID), a condition that affects intellectual and adaptive functioning. Children diagnosed with ID are usually placed in special needs education (SNE), which provides tailored support but may disrupt social networks due to school changes and limit future education options. While SNE helps children build skills, it can also carry stigma and lead to isolation. Despite these challenges, the evidence on the long-term effects of ID diagnoses and SNE placements is limited.
This project takes a unique approach by building a globally unique database, linking thousands of school psychology assessments with Sweden’s national health, education, and labor market records. The structure of the data enables an examination of causal effects of ID diagnoses and SNE placements on educational attainment, employment, crime, and mental health. We further explore how the effects vary by individual, family, and school characteristics and examine broader impacts on classmates and families.
A pilot study has confirmed the feasibility of accessing and digitizing this data, and ethical approval is obtained. By analyzing outcomes for up to 70,000 children assessed for ID, this project provides insights for policymakers to improve interventions and systems for children with ID and their families. A key innovation of this project is an AI-based decision-support tool for school psychologists.
This project takes a unique approach by building a globally unique database, linking thousands of school psychology assessments with Sweden’s national health, education, and labor market records. The structure of the data enables an examination of causal effects of ID diagnoses and SNE placements on educational attainment, employment, crime, and mental health. We further explore how the effects vary by individual, family, and school characteristics and examine broader impacts on classmates and families.
A pilot study has confirmed the feasibility of accessing and digitizing this data, and ethical approval is obtained. By analyzing outcomes for up to 70,000 children assessed for ID, this project provides insights for policymakers to improve interventions and systems for children with ID and their families. A key innovation of this project is an AI-based decision-support tool for school psychologists.