Empirically Identified Subgroups of Children Served in Part C Early Intervention Programs

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Pediatric Health
• Special Education

Background:

• Early intervention (EI) programs serve diverse populations of young children with developmental delays.
• Identifying distinct subgroups is crucial for effective prognosis and service planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify empirically distinct subgroups of children within early intervention (EI) programs.
• To inform early prognosis and service planning for infants and toddlers.

Main Methods:

• Mixture modeling was applied to developmental assessment data from 1513 children.
• Developmental quotients (DQs) across five domains were assessed using the Battelle Developmental Inventory, Second Edition.

Main Results:

• A 4-class model best fit the data, revealing distinct developmental profiles.
• Subgroups exhibited varying degrees of delay, particularly in communication, cognitive, and motor domains.
• Developmental trajectories differed significantly across the identified subgroups.

Conclusions:

• Subgroup identification offers insight into commonalities among children with diverse diagnoses entering EI.
• These subgroups have clinical relevance for understanding service needs and developmental trajectories for both practitioners and parents.