Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #100642

Michael D. Moore, MSW, ChildLink Program, Philadelphia Health Management Corporation, 18th Floor, 260 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102-5085, 215-731-2103, Mike@PHMC.Org, Jennifer L. Lauby, PhD, Research and Evaluation, Philadelphia Health Management Corporation, 260 S. Broad Street, Suite 1800, Philadelphia, PA 19102, and Denise Taylor-Patterson, MSW, City Of Philadelphia, Office of Behavioral Health and Mental Retardation Services, 701 Market Street, 5th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106.

This study assessed changes between initial and annual Multidisciplinary Evaluation scores for children eligible for, and receiving early intervention services in a large city-wide program in Philadelphia, PA. Two levels of change were examined: overall, by measuring change on a measure of overall development and specifically, by measuring change in five specific functional areas. Children in this study lived in all areas of the city of Philadelphia. PA and reflected the racial, ethnic, social and economic mix of a large city. Based on a comparison of initial and annual MDEs, improvements were recorded for young children across all neighborhoods in Philadelphia, indicating that most children, including those from disadvantaged environments, benefited from early intervention services and supports. Most children in the study, after receiving early intervention services for one year, showed significant improvements in developmental areas that were identified as areas of concern at their initial MDE. These findings reinforce the need to conduct regular developmental assessments to monitor a child's developmental growth and the benefits of providing interventions early and as needed to support and nurture developmental skills in young children until they start school.

Learning Objectives: