The problem of dropouts among special education students is summarized. After a brief overview of the problem, various studies are cited indicating a substantially higher incidence of dropping out of high school prior to program completion for handicapped than for non-handicapped students. Implications and recommendations for educational policy and practice are then considered. Among these are the need for early identification of dropout-prone students so that positive intervention can be implemented; the need for using information on factors leading to dropping out in remedial programming and counseling; and the need to reevaluate the effectiveness of individualized education programs for mildly handicapped students. Also provided is a bibliography of 19 additional resources. (DB)