Abstract
We examine the relationship between childhood lead exposure and special education using data on over 800,000 North Carolina 3rd-8th grade students. We use matching and panel data techniques to estimate the effect of lead exposure on the probability of having a learning disability that qualified students for special education and to estimate the effect of special education on lead-exposed students’ academic performance. We find that higher lead exposure significantly increased participation in special education, and special education significantly increased lead-exposed students’ test scores. These results indicate that special education can help mitigate academic deficits for lead-exposed students with learning disabilities.