Early Intervention Service Intensity and Change in Children's Functional Capabilities

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Developmental Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Early intervention (EI) services are crucial for children with developmental delays.
• Understanding factors influencing EI service dosage and outcomes is essential for optimizing care.
• Previous research has explored EI effectiveness, but correlates of service intensity and functional gains require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the relationship between child characteristics and early intervention (EI) service intensity.
• To determine the association between EI service dosage and functional gains in children from EI entry to discharge.
• To identify correlates of service intensity and functional improvements in a cohort of children receiving EI.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study analyzing data from an urban EI administrative database (N=1005).
• Included children eligible for EI due to developmental delay, receiving services and outcome data at entry and exit.
• Utilized adjusted quantile median regression for EI intensity and adjusted linear regression for functional change (Child Outcomes Summary - COS).

Main Results:

• Children older than 24 months received significantly higher EI service intensity (b=0.40).
• Both child age and EI service intensity were significantly associated with positive changes in social-emotional and cognitive domains of the COS.
• Developmental delay severity, race, ethnicity, sex, and language were also considered as potential correlates.

Conclusions:

• Older children benefit from a higher intensity of early intervention services.
• EI service intensity and child age are key factors linked to improved functional outcomes.
• These findings highlight the importance of age-appropriate EI service delivery for maximizing functional gains.