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THE EFFECT OF THE ECONOMY IN 2000 ON SPECIAL
EDUCATION TODAY
By
Kerri Beisner

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ABSTRACT
Nature vs. nurture is a common debate in regards to human behavior; do people act the
way they do because of their genetic makeup or because of environmental factors? Although
genetics do undoubtedly play a role in an individual’s development, it is important to recognize
the great impact the environment can have as well. Uri Brofenbrenner, a well-known
psychologist, studied the effect systems can have on a child’s development by exploring the
proximity of different environmental spheres and the strength of their impact on an individual.
Currently, there are a very large number of students in special education programs that
were born in 2000. Were there any environmental distractions that could have contributed to a
higher number of students in special education born in or shortly after this year? The stock
market crash of 2000 had an effect on the overall economy and family system. This paper
explores the correlation and relationship the stock market crash had on families and the possibly
of its contribution to higher numbers of students in special education today.

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Special Education
Special education is provided in school districts to give students with disabilities
opportunity to access the general education curriculum with as much rigor as their general
education peers. Under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education ACT), there are several
different categorizations of disabilities. Different disability qualifications under IDEA include
Emotional Disturbances, Autism, Deaf-Blindness, Deafness, Hearing Impairment, Intellectual
Disability, Multiple Disabilities, Orthopedic Impairment, Other Health Impairment, Speech or
Language Impairment, Traumatic Brain Injury, Specific Learning Disability, or Visual
Impairment including Blindness. (NICHCY) Disabilities are delays, developmentally and/or
cognitively that effect an individual’s ability to process, manipulate, or evaluate information.
Although genetics play a crucial role in an individual’s development, there are certain
environmental factors that can influence a child’s trajectory for successful development. One of
the leading causes for an individual to develop a disability is through malnutrition and poverty.
The economy ultimately plays an integral role in the day to day lives of millions of Americans
and the accessibility of vital resources to families. The economy in the early 2000’s showed a
drastic downturn. “From the middle of 2000, one after another of the corporations that had led
the boom, especially in technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) confronted
disastrous declines in profits, and the stock market crashed.” The rising amount of money being
put into share prices quickly went into a reverse, as companies were forced to cut back on their
investments. (Brenner) Due to the unstable and poor state of the economy during 2000-2001,
families (especially those in urban populations) were at a loss for jobs, safe housing, and food.
The unpredictability of where a next meal will come from or where a family will be living the

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next week can cause much variability in an individual’s daily life. This inconsistency in a daily
routine has the potential for emotional turmoil, malnutrition, and a shaky foreground for the
development of children born in this year. There is currently a high correlation between those
students born during this time period and the number of students in special education. There are
a large number of children in special education that were born in the 2000 cohort. We are now,
as a country, seeing the effects the unstable economy of 2000 had on the development of some
children born during that time period. The first year of life is one of the most important for
development, as the brain doubles in size during the first year of life and it will be 85% of the
adult size by age two. (Berk) With improper parenting, food, and care, there can be severe
effects that will last a life time in a child’s development. This cohort of children, those born in
2000, are mostly now in the 7th grade; the grade with the greatest number of students in special
education.
Economy in 2000
The economy is ultimately a driving force behind each society; it creates and sustains
businesses, it provides citizens the opportunity to become integral members of a community
through spending money, and it creates a democratic freedom for people to spend their money as
they wish. These positive aspects of an economy, however, are only available to people that
have the extra income. For those families scraping by, the economy becomes a daunting force
that is working against them in all regards. In the early 1990’s the state of the US economy was
in a relatively mild recession. Businesses were beginning to utilize the advancements of the
internet and were exploring alternatives to the ways they ran their individual companies. The
1990’s proved a boom of economic growth and profitability. This boom, however, led to a

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recession in the United States and was the driving force behind the stock market to crash in 2000.
“In the face of this decline- the stock market took off on the greatest run-up in its history,
massively increasing the on-paper assets of corporations and by the rising dollar.” The
economy’s “main engine” soon turned to becoming the stock market and share prices; taking
place of the once manufacturing profitability that was foundation for the United States economy.
(Brenner) The sustainability of this drastic and great increase in the stock market could not last.
In the middle of 2000, “one after another of the corporations that had led the boom, especially in
technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) confronted disastrous declines in profits.”
And so, in the spring of 2000, the stock market crashed. The effect of the rising share prices now
reversed into a downward spiral; “corporations found it much more difficult to raise money and
were forced to cut back on investment, setting the economy on a downward course.” (Brenner)
Companies needed to cut employees, people began taking pay cuts, hours were cut back- people
were no longer making as much money as they were before, yet everything was still costing
them the same. Family life was greatly affected, as some parents began working multiple jobs,
children were left home alone, or a lack of income made purchasing the bare necessities a great
difficulty. (Brenner) “In 2000, 16.9% of all children in the United States were poor, while only
9.7% of people over age 65 and only 11.8% of all Americans lived in poverty.” (Enwefa, R.,
Enwefa, S., & Jennings, R) The economy during this time period had a large impact on the
family dynamic and the availability and quality of a support system for many children.

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Impact of the Economy on Family Life
The economy has a drastic impact on families; how families interact with their society and
with one another. The economy can affect families in a number of ways. Through the loss of
jobs, parents may be struggling financially at home; unable to provide the proper nutrition and
care for their children. Struggling families may be unable to keep up with the demanding
finances of our society, and may therefore need to work two, three, or more jobs to provide the
basic necessities for their family. Tension in households can rise, as children begin to feel the
emotional responsibilities and burdens that their parents are experiencing. Young children pick
up on these social-emotional cues; they can tell when things at home are not right. “Families of
children with disabilities trying to survive from day to day have difficulty planning for the future
for what a good education might bring; they simply do not see academic achievement as a
priority, given the necessities of their daily existence.” (Enwefa, R., Enwefa, S., & Jennings, R)
The economy can ultimately have a tremendous impact on a family system. When families are
struggling to meet their basic survival needs, the education and overall development of their
children no longer becomes a necessity- keeping a home and finding food does.
Uri Brofenbrenner, a well-known developmental psychologist, studied the effects
different influences of life have on a child’s development. He created a system where he
explained how a child’s environment affects how they grow. The economy falls in the
macrosystem portion of the ecological systems theory. (Oswalt) This is the largest system and it
encompasses aspects of the environment that the child may not be interacting with, but they still
have a great impact on the child and their overall development; as they can ultimately affect
other systems more closely related and integral in an individual’s life. Through the ecological

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systems theory, one can see the impact the economy ultimately has on an individual. The
economy affects businesses, businesses effect families, and the family system more closely
impacts the development of a child. All spheres of this system are interrelated and influence one
another in some way.
Lack of Parent Involvement
Parent absence due to a constant effort to provide financially for a family can have a
drastic impact on young children. As young infants are developing, it is incredibly important for
parents to be interacting, challenging, and engaging with their young ones as they are exploring
and beginning to understand the world around them. “Everything the baby sees, hears, tastes,
and touches, every move or sound she makes, every sensation and emotion she experiences- all
of your interactions with her- contribute to the robust development of the sensorium.” Certain
learning centers in an infant’s brain only respond when interacting with real people. This
interaction is essential for a healthy emotional base and for overall development. (Berk) With
absent parents, young children are at risk for choosing activities that are not developmentally
appropriate, do not provide cognitive stimulation, and that do not develop their overall
understanding of self. The lack of parent involvement has proven to have negative emotional
implications on young children as well. Studies have shown that if developing babies are not
given the proper amount of emotional attention and stimulation, their bodies physically respond
by stopping their production of human growth hormone. (Berk) Human growth hormone is
incredibly important for development, as it stabilizes and regulates the amount of hormones
secreted in a developing child’s body to maintain their growth. Children that were neglected
during these developmental periods can show symptoms in their later years through an immature

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physical appearance. Emotional stimulation and affirmation helps an infant realize they exist; it
is foundation for self-affirmation. (Berk) If a baby cries, they know they will be helped. If a
baby is hungry, someone will feed them. In a home environment where parents are absent, so is
this self-affirmation of existence.
Malnutrition
Along with emotional neglect, a leading cause of a variety of disabilities is malnutrition.
According to The Impact of Malnutrition on Children’s Physical and Mental Development,
“malnutrition is insufficient, excessive or imbalanced consumption of protein, energy, or
micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).” (The Impact of Malnutrition on Children’s Physical and
Mental Development) The lack of these important nutrients, vitamins, and a balanced diet for
growing children can have a drastic and lasting impact on their overall physical and cognitive
development. The brain doubles in size during the first year of life. In that time period,
children’s brains are forming and developing. During this process, there are many
environmental factors that could ultimately hinder or alter this development. Without the proper
nutrients, a deficit in a particular vitamin or mineral could change the formation of a child’s
brain and the overall functionality of that brain for that child as a teenager and adult. “Further
evidence from research has found that hungry children are more likely to be receiving special
education services, score higher on aggression and irritability scales, and are more likely to
struggle with academic achievement.” (Dunifon & Kowaleski, 2003) The effects of malnutrition
have a concrete correlation with a child’s behavior and overall academic performance; causing
both short and long term effects. The impact of malnutrition and brain development is great, as
links between food deficiencies and mental health problems in young people have been noted.

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“Conditions such as ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia, seem to involve functional
deficiencies of certain highly unsaturated fatty acids, such as Omega-3 (Richardson et. Al., 2005)
The disregard of these nutrients during crucial developmental periods in the brain can have
lasting effects and can ultimately be cause for a student to require special education services
when of school age. Without the finances, however, it is difficult for parents to provide a well-
rounded and enriched diet for their developing children.
2000 Economy and Special Education Today
In regards to the state of the economy in 2000, many homes and parents were unable to
provide proper care to their children due to finances, availability of resources, or parents having
to take on another job. So what does the economy 14 years ago have to do with special
education now? The United States is now seeing the effects the 2000 economy has on children
and their development. This is most notable now with the population of children that were born
in 2000; the children who would be impacted most by the economy, as their brains were
developing at rapid rates during this time period. The high number of current 14 year old special
education students that were born in the year 2000 poses the question as to whether or not the
economy had an impact on their development. With many more students in this cohort in special
education programs, it is hard to ignore the parallel between the two.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Special Education Enrollment by Age School Year 2012-2013, the greatest number of special
education students were born in the year 2000. For the 12 year old cohort in 2012, the state of
Massachusetts had 13,074 students in special education- the largest number for an age group in
the entire state. (District/School Administration Information Services Statistical Reports

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Enrollment Data) Data from Boston Preparatory Charter Public School located in Hyde Park,
Massachusetts shows that 16.7% of their students born in 1999 have a disability, 33.3% of their
students born in 2000 have a disability, and 16.7% of their students born in 2001 have a
disability. The effects of the economy in 2000 are apparent through the drastic rise of students in
special education from the 2000 cohort. The number of Boston Preparatory students in special
education born in 2000 nearly doubled in size in comparison to those students born in 1999 and
2001. From 2000 on, there was a rise in the number of students receiving special education
services. According to the National Center for Government Statistics, there was an incredibly
large increase in the number of students receiving special education services from 1990-1991
and 2000-2001. This could be in part because young children still developing were beginning to
feel the effect of the economy through their home life; with a lack of resources, tension at home,
and absent parents. According to this data, the number of students between the ages of 3-21 with
a type of disability was 4,710 in 1990-1991. In 2000-2001, the number of students with
disabilities increased to 6,296. (Fast Facts) The unpredictability and lack of parent involvement
and proper nutrition during this year could have had a great impact on young children growing,
not necessarily born, during this time period. The drastic increase in the number of students with
disabilities in 2000 greatly parallels the state of the economy during that time period.
The purpose of history is to give the present and future generations the ability to learn
from past mistakes. In looking at the statistical data of current special education students born
during the stock market crash, the correlation between the environmental impact and a child’s
development becomes clear. When thinking about the state of the economy and the United
States, it is crucial that we, as a country, provide the proper care and nutrition for all growing
minds. An infant’s brain is incredibly susceptible to change and variability, as it is growing and

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developing at rapid rates. A lack of parent involvement, availability of resources, or improper
nutrition are all environmental factors that could ultimately alter the brain development of young
children, causing both short term and long term effects; something that has proven true with the
number of special education students born in 2000.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kerri Beisner is a native of New England, and spent most of her childhood growing up
along the Connecticut shoreline. She attended the University of Connecticut in Storrs, where she
received her Bachelors of Arts in English in 2011. Beisner has always been interested in special
education received her Masters of Education in Moderate Learning Disabilities k-8 from
Endicott College in 2014.
Over the past few years, Beisner has worked with children in various settings including
volunteer work for the Special Olympics, as an Assistant Director of a Day Camp, and at several
different schools. Beisner currently resides in Boston and works as a Middle School Special
Education Teacher at Boston Preparatory Charter Public School. She hopes to one day become a
college professor and teach child development at a University. This is Kerri Beisner’s second
publication with NASET.

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Dunifon & Kowaleski, The influences of participation in the national school lunch
program and food insecurity on child well being, Social Service Review, 77(1), 72-92, 2003
Enwefa, R., Enwefa, S., & Jennings, R. Special Education: Examining the impact of
poverty on the quality of families of children with disabilities. Forum on Public Policy, 1-25.
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