The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #70154

Donna Spiker, PhD¹, Anita A. Scarborough, PhD², and Don bailey, PhD². (1) Center for Education and Human Services, SRI International, 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025, 650-859-6184, donna.spiker@sri.com, (2) Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina, CB 8185, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8185

Prior to the implementation of the national Part C early intervention system, there was tremendous variation in how individual states were serving infants and toddlers with disabilities or at risk for developmental delays or disabilities. The types, intensity, duration and other characteristics of early intervention services that infants and toddlers and their families receive under the Part C program undoubtedly varies as a function of the variations in the children and families being served. Because the Part C early intervention system has a strong commitment to individualized service planning, characteristics such as the child's age, reasons for eligibility for services, and specific disabilities or health or functional status should be predictive of the types and intensity of services received. However, to date, no national data have been available about the early intervention services received by o describe how different

Using data for a nationally representative sample of infants and toddlers receiving early intervention services under the Part C program, in this paper, we address the following question: how do the early intervention services received relate to variations in the children and families who receive them? We will describe the relationship between the services received and child characteristics such as those mentioned above, as well as how services vary by family characteristics (e.g., maternal education level, household poverty status, race/ethnicity).

Learning Objectives:

• 1.Identify key child characteristics that could relate to early intervention services.
• 2.Identify key family characteristics that could relate to early intervention services.
• 3.Identify policy implications of findings about associations between child and family characteristics and early intervention services received

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.