Special Education Eligibility: Developmental Precursors over the First Three Years of Life

From the National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD) Study of Early Child Care sample, two groups of children at age 36 months were examined—children identified by medical professionals as needing special services and children eligible for special services based on developmental assessments. Demographic information, children's behavioral functioning, mothers' psychological functioning, mother-child interactions, and quality of the home environment were examined. Early home environment and later behavior problems and children's health problems significantly contributed to the prediction model for membership in the group identified by medical professionals. Early home environment and socioeconomic status (SES) significantly contributed to the prediction model for the group identified based on developmental assessments. Results have implications for efforts to screen and detect young children likely to benefit from special education services.