Predicting School Readiness for Low-Income Children with Disability Risks Identified Early

Abstract

This study examined school readiness at kindergarten entry for low-income children whose disability indicators were identified before age 3. Data were collected as part of the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Longitudinal Follow-up study. Children who had suspected developmental delays and did not receive Part C services had lower preacademic skill scores at kindergarten entry than those who had no disability indicators. In contrast, the preacademic skills at age 5 of children who received Part C services did not differ from those who had no disability indicators. A large proportion of children who had suspected developmental delays and did not receive Part C services by age 3 received Part B services later. Results highlight the importance of early intervention for low-income children who have suspected developmental delays to enhance their school readiness skills.

The need for special education in kindergarten for children with developmental delays of unknown etiology : an analysis of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C and Part B preschool programs

“…In a recent study examining experiences of preschoolers enrolled in prekindergarten (pre-k) programs, Phillips and Meloy (2012) aimed to determine whether pre-k programs make a difference for children with disabilities. Similar to the aforementioned studies by Jeon et al (2011) and Sullivan and Field (2013) Children were primarily male (68.6%), but there were more black children (40.5%) than other race included in the study (Phillips & Meloy, 2012).…”

“…In a recent study investigating associations between preschool special education and school readiness skills, Sullivan & Field (2013) used logistic regression analysis to determine the impact of preschooler's participation in special education services. Similar to the aforementioned study by Jeon et al (2011), Sullivan and Field compared a group of preschoolers who received special education services to a group who did not.…”

“…Scarborough et al (2004) indicated there is no single factor that predicts participation in or success from receiving services and no typical child or family receiving services from IDEA programs. Further, Jeon et al (2011) indicated each child's disability is different and each developmental delay has variance in severity. This, in addition to the differences in individualization of the amount and type of service, makes it challenging to identify and track progress in children's development.…”

“…In studies involving Part C, researchers often concentrate on a particular disability such as autism, Down syndrome, or focus on a combination of disabilities. The researcher found few studies that focus solely on children in Part C with developmental delays of unknown etiology (Jeon et al, 2011;Keogh et al, 2000). For children in IDEA Part C, common variables related to outcomes include the child's age when a developmental problem is identified and when intervention begins (Scarborough et al, 2004).…”

Factors that explain placement decisions for students with multiple disabilities: findings from national data

“…Policy decisions have also been influential in the expansion of early intervention services for young children with disabilities and their families (Epley, Summers and Turnbull, ). In fact, early intervention has been shown to positively impact long‐term student outcomes (Jeon, Peterson, Wall, et al., ; Raspa, Bailey, Olmsted, et al., ). However, findings from the current study reveal that students with multiple disabilities who had received early intervention services had less access to general education classrooms and academic content, especially as they grew older.…”