Understandably, every parent or caregiver of a child with special needs wants first-rate care for their loved one. The infographic below ranks all 50 states based on the resources and services they provide to children with special needs. Each state is evaluated using eight categories, each assigned a different point value. The research team at AAA State of Play analyzed the data to identify the states that excel in providing excellent resources and services to special needs children.
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Some or all of these states share commonalities that contributed to their high ranking on the list. For instance, four of the five states are among the least populated in the United States, with Pennsylvania being the exception. A smaller population can make the process of establishing and distributing services to children with special needs more manageable. Consider some other reasons that may account for the top ranking of these five states.
The percentage of children receiving services under a special education or early intervention plan in Rhode Island is 11.5%. Although this figure is not the highest among all states in this category, Rhode Island still boasts a mixed delivery model for serving children with special needs. Qualified teachers travel to schools and other settings, allowing children to remain in familiar environments during instruction.
New Hampshire ranks second on the list, partly because it has 1.24 special needs facilities for every 1,000 children with disabilities, slightly lower than Rhode Island’s 1.37. Additionally, 23.4% of its children with special needs have adequate insurance, enhancing timely access to services and resources.
Maine ranks third with 14.1% of children receiving services under a special education or early intervention plan. Over the past ten years, there has been a steady increase in public school students identified with a disability and provided an individualized education program (IEP). Moreover, 24.2% of children with special needs in Maine have consistent insurance coverage.
Pennsylvania ranks fourth due to its large population and high percentage (14.6%) of children receiving services under a special education or early intervention plan. The state excels in IDEA services, meeting the six pillars and is recognized as one of the best states for raising kids with special needs.
Vermont rounds out the top five on the list with 12.7% of children receiving services under a special education or early intervention plan. Vermont offers a range of early intervention services as well as a selection of special education resources for parents and caregivers navigating this journey with their child.
When checking out programs for a school-aged child with special needs, it’s a good idea to have a list of pertinent questions to ask. This helps you get a feel for all a program has to offer.
Teachers with a degree in special education are more knowledgeable about the various instructional approaches for these children than those with a traditional bachelor’s degree in education.
A teacher with five or more years of experience with special needs children is likely to be more effective than someone with only one or two years. Discussing their experience during a school tour can help you gauge your comfort level with the program.
Not all school days are the same. Asking about the schedule gives you a general idea of the subjects taught and the time allocated to each child.
At AAA State of Play, our goal is to see healthy and happy children in every state. We believe exercise and playtime are essential to overall health. That’s why we’re proud to offer an extensive collection of imaginative and safe playground structures. Our inventory of accessible swings and seats helps you find playground equipment that meets your child’s specific needs. Check out our impressive selection today!
To determine which U.S. states offer the best resources, services, and environment, we weighed eight factors:
States can earn a total of 175 points.
State | % Receiving Services | % Served Under Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) | % Not Bullied | Number of Specialty Locations per 1,000 | % of Special Needs Students with Consistent Insurance Coverage | % of Well-Functioning Care Systems | % Flourishing | % Engaged in School | Total |
Rhode Island | 11.50 | 18.00 | 42.10 | 1.37 | 19.90 | 13.70 | 37.90 | 36.20 | 141.96 |
New Hampshire | 11.50 | 18.00 | 27.00 | 1.24 | 23.40 | 17.40 | 34.40 | 36.80 | 139.75 |
Maine | 14.10 | 21.00 | 34.20 | 0.57 | 24.20 | 17.90 | 31.30 | 35.00 | 137.96 |
Pennsylvania | 14.60 | 21.00 | 42.30 | 0.12 | 21.80 | 21.60 | 36.20 | 33.20 | 135.71 |
Vermont | 12.70 | 18.00 | 33.00 | 0.83 | 24.00 | 15.80 | 35.30 | 35.40 | 135.41 |
Massachusetts | 12.40 | 20.00 | 48.50 | 0.11 | 21.50 | 17.60 | 42.30 | 35.60 | 131.73 |
Oklahoma | 10.70 | 17.00 | 49.20 | 0.17 | 22.90 | 23.90 | 37.20 | 38.10 | 130.43 |
Delaware | 11.40 | 19.00 | 45.00 | 0.35 | 21.40 | 17.20 | 39.50 | 35.30 | 129.88 |
New Mexico | 15.50 | 18.00 | 41.00 | 0.24 | 18.30 | 18.00 | 31.60 | 36.10 | 128.34 |
West Virginia | 10.90 | 19.00 | 37.00 | 0.40 | 23.00 | 18.40 | 32.50 | 34.20 | 126.34 |
Ohio | 12.60 | 17.00 | 49.20 | 0.09 | 21.00 | 20.10 | 36.90 | 32.80 | 125.90 |
New York | 12.20 | 21.00 | 50.40 | 0.09 | 17.70 | 11.40 | 45.20 | 35.00 | 125.86 |
South Dakota | 11.60 | 16.00 | 31.90 | 0.66 | 19.90 | 17.70 | 35.20 | 35.50 | 125.30 |
Connecticut | 10.10 | 17.00 | 44.40 | 0.21 | 22.00 | 16.80 | 40.60 | 40.80 | 124.47 |
Wyoming | 10.60 | 18.00 | 34.70 | 0.54 | 19.80 | 16.70 | 33.10 | 38.20 | 123.92 |
Arkansas | 8.20 | 16.00 | 38.60 | 0.27 | 25.30 | 22.80 | 34.90 | 37.20 | 122.47 |
Kansas | 10.70 | 17.00 | 36.70 | 0.37 | 18.80 | 17.10 | 39.90 | 34.00 | 121.30 |
Mississippi | 8.50 | 16.00 | 43.70 | 0.21 | 22.10 | 23.20 | 32.90 | 37.00 | 120.42 |
Minnesota | 13.90 | 17.00 | 38.10 | 0.10 | 17.00 | 17.40 | 34.10 | 35.90 | 119.94 |
Montana | 11.70 | 14.00 | 34.10 | 0.39 | 22.90 | 16.40 | 32.30 | 39.40 | 119.74 |
Alaska | 10.90 | 15.00 | 43.30 | 0.47 | 17.80 | 14.10 | 35.20 | 39.60 | 119.17 |
Kentucky | 9.20 | 17.00 | 40.30 | 0.17 | 22.40 | 19.60 | 38.60 | 31.20 | 119.09 |
New Jersey | 11.90 | 18.00 | 45.40 | 0.11 | 15.40 | 11.80 | 40.80 | 39.20 | 117.86 |
North Dakota | 10.30 | 15.00 | 31.70 | 0.59 | 20.50 | 14.30 | 34.30 | 37.20 | 117.79 |
Indiana | 8.90 | 18.00 | 37.60 | 0.11 | 22.90 | 18.60 | 33.00 | 35.60 | 116.68 |
Louisiana | 10.90 | 13.00 | 49.20 | 0.11 | 24.30 | 18.90 | 31.70 | 33.00 | 116.58 |
Nebraska | 8.90 | 17.00 | 39.10 | 0.66 | 16.20 | 12.80 | 34.00 | 34.50 | 115.60 |
South Carolina | 8.90 | 14.00 | 39.60 | 0.07 | 21.90 | 17.20 | 43.00 | 35.10 | 113.21 |
Tennessee | 8.90 | 13.00 | 44.40 | 0.09 | 19.60 | 19.10 | 43.20 | 34.40 | 113.10 |
Virginia | 10.20 | 14.00 | 44.10 | 0.10 | 19.80 | 16.30 | 35.90 | 38.20 | 113.08 |
Colorado | 10.80 | 13.00 | 36.70 | 0.28 | 18.50 | 13.00 | 41.00 | 39.20 | 112.76 |
Illinois | 9.80 | 16.00 | 42.20 | 0.11 | 15.40 | 14.40 | 40.00 | 40.80 | 112.54 |
North Carolina | 9.80 | 13.00 | 46.30 | 0.11 | 21.80 | 13.50 | 35.40 | 37.30 | 110.42 |
Washington | 9.70 | 14.00 | 32.60 | 0.15 | 18.80 | 15.40 | 41.00 | 35.30 | 109.44 |
Wisconsin | 9.10 | 15.00 | 35.40 | 0.12 | 23.00 | 15.30 | 30.40 | 37.90 | 109.35 |
Alabama | 8.40 | 13.00 | 46.20 | 0.06 | 20.90 | 21.50 | 35.70 | 27.70 | 109.32 |
Florida | 9.50 | 15.00 | 47.80 | 0.18 | 20.50 | 12.80 | 32.20 | 31.10 | 109.07 |
Maryland | 8.50 | 13.00 | 52.20 | 0.11 | 17.30 | 13.80 | 41.30 | 37.20 | 108.77 |
Arizona | 8.50 | 13.00 | 39.80 | 0.14 | 20.50 | 17.10 | 38.10 | 34.20 | 108.59 |
Missouri | 8.10 | 14.00 | 38.20 | 0.17 | 19.40 | 16.00 | 35.60 | 38.30 | 107.99 |
Georgia | 9.00 | 13.00 | 41.10 | 0.08 | 18.50 | 18.40 | 35.20 | 34.90 | 107.26 |
Texas | 8.00 | 13.00 | 51.70 | 0.10 | 16.40 | 15.00 | 38.70 | 37.40 | 106.67 |
Oregon | 10.20 | 15.00 | 32.60 | 0.12 | 18.00 | 13.90 | 34.10 | 35.30 | 106.34 |
Michigan | 9.40 | 14.00 | 39.60 | 0.07 | 17.90 | 14.50 | 33.30 | 32.50 | 103.46 |
Iowa | 9.40 | 14.00 | 29.30 | 0.18 | 19.20 | 13.60 | 30.40 | 30.30 | 100.64 |
California | 7.20 | 14.00 | 51.60 | 0.10 | 13.40 | 8.80 | 39.70 | 34.50 | 98.42 |
Hawaii | 5.70 | 12.00 | 40.30 | 0.37 | 12.40 | 12.40 | 36.40 | 42.00 | 97.85 |
Idaho | 8.00 | 12.00 | 34.40 | 0.29 | 17.00 | 14.60 | 30.60 | 30.00 | 97.64 |
Nevada | 9.90 | 13.00 | 40.30 | 0.09 | 14.80 | 6.80 | 34.50 | 33.20 | 95.54 |
Utah | 8.90 | 13.00 | 29.20 | 0.10 | 13.30 | 11.20 | 30.70 | 37.60 | 92.92 |
Sources:
Percentage of Children Receiving Services Under a Special Education or Early Intervention Plan (Ages 1-17 Years)
https://nschdata.org/browse/survey/allstates
Students Served Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as a Percentage of Public School Enrollment
https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cgg/students-with-disabilities
Percentage of Special Needs Children Who Did Not Experience Bullying in the Past 12 Months (Ages 6-17)
https://www.childhealthdata.org/browse/survey/allstates?q=11064&g=1167
Number of Special Needs Facilities per 1,000 Children with Disabilities
https://www.theautismdirectory.com/
https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/demo/tables/disability/2021/table3.pdf
Percentage of Special Needs Children with Adequate and Consistent Insurance Coverage
https://nschdata.org/browse/survey/allstates?q=10511&g=1137
Percentage of Special Needs Children with a Well-Functioning System of Care and Are
Considered Flourishing (Meets Three or All Four Flourishing Criteria)
https://www.cahmi.org/data-in-action/prioritizing-possibilities-data-query/all-states
Percentage of Special Needs Children Who Are Usually Engaged in School
https://nschdata.org/browse/survey/allstates?q=10728&g=1126&a=21950
Kelly has been a CPSI-certified playground inspector for several years. Her passion for play and attention to detail bring immense value to every playground she brings to life, and with her years of experience, every playground she visits is made better for her having been there. In her leisure time, Kelly enjoys spending time with her family.
