A drug and alcohol survey was administered to 283 secondary school students in a large suburban school district in the eastern United States. The survey covered demographic information, life events, coping strategies, and prevalence of substance abuse, asking students about initial and current use of a wide range of substances including alcohol, cigarettes, cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants, marijuana, opiates, PCP, illicit prescription medications, and tranquilizers. Of the 283 students, 55 were students with behavior disorders enrolled in special schools, and 99 students (primarily learning disabled) were enrolled in special education classes. A series of analyses were conducted, with age and race as covariates and student status as the independent variable. Students attending residential or day programs for behavioral disorders showed a higher percentage of use of hard drugs than students enrolled in regular schools. Mildly handicapped students served in special education programs and identified primarily as learning disabled did not report using controlled substances with any greater frequency than non-identified schoolmates. An exception to this was the greater prevalence of alcohol use by non-identified high-school students. A discussion of implications for special educators concludes the paper. (JDD)