Students with learning and attention challenges are twice as likely as their non-disabled peers to be suspended or expelled because of social, emotional, or behavioral problems. School removal not only forces kids to lose essential academic instruction and positive social interactions, it increases their risks of being held back, dropping out, failing to graduate, and becoming entangled in the ‘special education-to-prison’ pipeline.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act appreciate that students with disabilities may engage in disruptive behaviors because of their disabilities and should not be punished for those behaviors. Consequently, during school disciplinary hearings, kids with identified disabilities have special protections under the laws.