Previous studies have noted that the experience of child maltreatment can produce serious deleterious outcomes for child development. The current study relied on a nonclinical sample of 7,940 children who had received Aid to Families With Dependent Children between 1993 and 1994. Data on these children were accessed from a range of State and local administrative databases; dependent variables were eligibility for special education services and type of disability, while independent variables measured maltreatment and child welfare characteristics. Control variables included gender, ethnicity, child medical condition, family demographics, and community variables. The three main research questions were: (1) is maltreatment associated with special education eligibility controlling for other factors? (2) does maltreatment type or use of child welfare services influence special education eligibility? and (3) what is the relationship between maltreatment type and type of educational disability. Results of regression analyses indicated that involvement with the child maltreatment system was predictive of special education eligibility after controlling for other variables. Other results revealed that children reported for physical abuse and children who received child welfare services in the form of family preservation or foster care had the highest rates of special education eligibility. Future research on the complex relationship between child maltreatment and special education eligibility will help to underscore the need for interdisciplinary and multimethod approaches for children and families encountering such difficulties. Figures, tables, references