Assessment variability among states in determining Part C eligibility criteria

Early intervention (EI), known as Part C, is an integral component of providing young children with individualized attention that enriches their development. The EI services are provided to children zero to two years old that are deemed eligible by specific diagnosis, clinical opinion, or based on assessment scores. States have flexibility on which assessments should be used and the qualifications of the examiner. The variations among states and districts can have implications on who is eligible to receive services throughout the country. The purpose of this study is to investigate the assessments and examiner's qualification in each state. The ongoing data that will be collected will be interpreted to answer the following questions: Does the type of assessment used to determine children's eligibility for EI services in each state correlate to the projected number of referred children? Does the difference in the examiner's qualifications have an impact on the number of children in EI? The data suggests that there needs to be further examination to answer these questions. The states' ambiguity of assessments and evaluator qualifications raises concerns on the reliability and validity on the evaluation process.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A. School Psychology-Professional School Psychology

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Services, Administration, and Higher Education

Year dc:date.available

2015

Author dc:creator

• Siktar, April

Contributors dc:contributor

• Allen, Terri

• Children with disabilities--Identification; Early childhood education
• Child Psychology
• Student Counseling and Personnel Services

Repository record dc:identifier

https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/397

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:rdw.rowan.edu:etd-1396