THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE ECONOMIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS UNDERLYING PUBLIC PROVISIONS FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN IN 101 ILLINOIS COUNTIES (COOK EXCLUDED) AND TO DEVELOP A DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUE TO INDICATE WHETHER COUNTIES COULD BE EXPECTED TO MAKE SUCH PROVISIONS. SERVICES STUDIED WERE THOSE FOR THE DEAF, THE SPEECH HANDICAPPED, THE EDUCABLE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED, AND THOSE OF A DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION. THE PROPORTIONS RECEIVING EACH SERVICE WERE DETERMINED, AND 21 ECONOMIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS WERE REDUCED BY FACTOR ANALYSIS TO SIX CLUSTERS OF VARIABLES. THE URBAN FACTOR ACCOUNTED FOR 44 PERCENT OF THE VARIANCE, EDUCATION FOR 13 PERCENT, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS FOR 8 PERCENT, RURAL OCCUPATIONS FOR 6 PERCENT, FINANCIAL ABILITY FOR 5 PERCENT, AND POPULATION GROWTH FOR 4 PERCENT. A SINGLE INDEX SCORE WAS OBTAINED FROM THE FACTOR SCORES AND USED TO RANK THE COUNTIES. PROVIDING SERVICES FOR DEAF CHILDREN WERE NINE OF 12 HIGH EXPECTANCY COUNTIES, FOR THE SPEECH HANDICAPPED 62 OF 67, FOR THE EDUCABLE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED IN ELEMENTARY PROGRAMS 59 OF 63, AND FOR THE EDUCABLE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED IN SECONDARY PROGRAMS FIVE OF NINE. OF 24 HIGH EXPECTANCY COUNTIES, 17 HAD THE SERVICES OF A DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION. THE STUDY, THEREFORE, IMPLIED THAT LEGISLATIVE OR ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS SHOULD BE BASED ON THOSE FACTORS RELATED TO THE SUPPORT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES AND DEVELOPED AN EXPECTANCY INDEX TO SERVE AS THE MEANS OF STUDYING COUNTIES IN TERMS OF THOSE FACTORS. A 17-ITEM BIBLIOGRAPHY, APPENDIXES OF FACTOR AND INDEX SCORES PER COUNTY IN SERVICES FOR THE DEAF, AND 20 FIGURES AND TABLES ARE PROVIDED. THIS DOCUMENT IS AVAILABLE FROM THE COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN, NEA, 1201 16TH STREET, N.W., WASHINGTON, D.C. 20036, FOR $2.00. (DF)