Transitioning Racial/Ethnic Minorities With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Influence of Socioeconomic Status on Related Services

Abstract

Related services were examined for 1,400 racial/ethnic transitioning minorities enrolled in the National Longitudinal Transition Study–2 database after adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic variables. Propensity methods balanced minorities (32%) and nonminorities (68%) on demographic and socioeconomic factors. Logistic regressions determined predictors of each outcome while incorporating propensity scores and survey weights. Education and income influenced more service receipt; whereas, percentage of persons with free or reduced lunch and minorities in high school had lower service receipt. After incorporating propensity scores, differences between minorities and nonminorities attenuated for occupational therapy and career counseling and increased for assistive technology with no services reaching significance after adjustment. Complex analyses incorporating socioeconomic factors best determine differences between racial/ethnic transitioning minorities with intellectual and developmental disabilities.