A human resource cost analysis study of diagnosing and placing handicapped children

his paper outlines a comparative cost analysis study of staff time involved in the diagnosis and placement of Learning Disabled, Emotionally Disturbed, and Speech/Language children among three medium sized Wisconsin school districts. M-team members completed time logs throughout the diagnosis and placement processes for one hundred, eighty-one Early Childhood through 12th grade students during the 1989-90 school year. In addition to time logs, this study employed site visits, document reviews, interviews, and observations. Using a per minute cost for specified staff positions within the M-team, data were analyzed on the basis of operational and social/political costs. An analysis of the data revealed the total mean cost for diagnosing and placing children in the three districts within the disability categories of Emotional Disturbance, Learning Disabilities, and Speech/Language was...