Beyond Borders and Labels: An Intersectional Review of Special Education Placement Trends
Keywords:
inclusive education, special education placement, intersectionality, disability studiesAbstract
This study presents a critical systematic review of international special education placement trends using an intersectional analytical lens. The review synthesizes global literature published between 2015 and 2026 to examine how the intersections of disability, race, language, and socioeconomic status shape the likelihood of students being placed in segregated versus inclusive educational settings. Guided by the PSALSAR systematic review framework, the study analyzed 64 sources, including peer-reviewed journal articles, policy analyses, and international education reports. Findings reveal a persistent contradiction in global education systems: while international frameworks such as the Salamanca Statement have promoted inclusive schooling as a global norm, placement outcomes remain stratified across intersecting identities. Students who occupy multiple marginalized positions—particularly those in the Global South or minoritized populations within the Global North—continue to experience disproportionately higher rates of restrictive educational placements. These patterns highlight how ostensibly neutral policies often obscure structural inequities embedded within educational systems. The study therefore argues for a shift away from identity-evasive policy frameworks toward a multi-level architecture of inclusive reform. Such an approach integrates macro-level legal structures, meso-level institutional practices, and micro-level student voice to address the systemic forces that shape placement decisions and to promote more equitable inclusive education practices worldwide.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Susan C. Adona, PhD, Flor Junema C. Mabutin, PhD, Francesca Micaela C. Masiglat, LPT, MAEd, Marie Chris Catherine D. Balute, MAEd, Maria Avegail M. Padua, PhD (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
