Disability indicators for children birth to 31 months of age: Comparison of findings from the National Survey of Children and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) and the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study (NEILS)

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Cecilia Casanueva, PhD¹, Anita Scarborough, PhD¹, Richard Barth, PhD², and Elvon C. Lloyd, MA². (1) Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Campus Box 8185, The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-8185, 919-843 4458, ceciliacasanueva@earthlink.net, (2) School Of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Rm 524j 301 Pittsboro St, Chapel Hill, NC 27599

Recent revisions to IDEA mandate referral of children less than 3 years of age involved in substantiated cases of maltreatment to Part C Services. These children should be screened for developmental aberration to determine the need for an evaluation and eligibility for early intervention services. This study compares reports of developmental problems and eligibility for Part C Services using data from two national studies: the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study (NEILS), the first nationally representative study of young children receiving Part C services, and the National Survey of Children and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW), the first national probability study of children investigated for child maltreatment. A developmental portrait of these children will be presented regarding the proportion that are considered developmentally delayed by virtue of an assessment on a standardized developmental measure, the proportion of children that have a medically established risk conditions, and the proportion with other risk factors for developmental delay. The findings from NSCAW and NEILS will serve as the first national frame of reference regarding the developmental characteristics of infants and toddlers involved in child welfare cases. The information provided will be of interest to both child welfare personnel and Part C practitioners and administrators by providing a description of children and families that will help in devising collaborative mechanisms to assure that screenings, referrals and evaluations occur, and are accomplished within the mandated time frame.