School Placement Outcomes Following Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention in a Routine Clinical Care Setting

Early intensive behavioral intervention is designed to establish critical social, cognitive, and adaptive repertoires and to close the developmental gap prior to entry into school systems. Previous research studies have documented that approximately half of children experiencing EIBI enter school with age typical cognitive or language skills and/or a general education placement. The current study examines the placement outcomes achieved in a routine clinical care setting for children completing EIBI services. Data were collected on several measures of school readiness prior to discharge and school placement following discharge from services between August 2022 and November 2023. The majority of children graduating from services entered school spending most or all of their time in general education settings, while the majority of those who exited services prematurely to enter school spent most or all of their time in special education settings or alternative school placements. In addition, scores on standardized measures were predictive of school placement. The school placement results for this organization are comparable to prior studies examining this outcome. Remaining in treatment services until a recommended discharge increased the probability of being placed in general education, which has been calculated to have significant cost savings.