Expanding the Federal Role in Serving Young Special-Needs Children

Abstract

If all special-needs infants, young children, and their families are to receive appropriate early-intervention services, the federal role in supplying such services will have to be expanded. Handicapped infants and young children are not receiving the services that they need to reach their intellectual, physical, and emotional potential. The benefits of early intervention and the state of the art nationwide for services to special-needs children from birth to age six are described. An expanded federal role is recommended to encourage state programs including a phased-in mandate for services. Specific provisions of a federal mandate are recommended and discussed, including extension of P.L. 94–142 to birth, state education agency responsibility, expansion of the definition of “handicapped children” to encompass high-risk and at-risk children from birth to six years, and innovative fiscal and administrative arrangements for services.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Behr, S. , & Gallagher, J. (1981). Alternative administrative strategies for young handicapped children: A policy analysis. Journal of the Division for Early Childhood, 2, 113–122.

Colorado Department of Education (1983). Effectiveness of early special education for handicapped children. Denver, CO: Author.

Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) (1982). Impact of Regan budget proposals on the education programs for the handicapped. Reston, VA: Author.

Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) (1983, March 23). Statement to the Subcommittee on the handicapped of the U.S. Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee with Respect to the Reauthorization of the Education of the Handicapped Act.

Gallagher, J. (1983, March 23). Revised testimony on early childhood for the reauthorization of the discretionary programs of the Education for the Handicapped Act, before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on the Handicapped.

Garland, C. , Stone, N. W. , Swanson, J. , & Woodruff, G. (Eds.) (1981). Early intervention for children with special needs and their families: Findings and recommendations (WESTAR, Series No. 11). ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 207 278.

Meisels, S. J. , Berkeley, T. , & Godfredsen, M. (1980). Children in transition: A study of the provisions of early intervention services in Massachusetts. Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council.

Schweinhart, L. J. , & Weikart, D. P. (1980). Young children grow up: The effects of the Perry Preschool Program on youths through age 15. Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope Educational Research Foundation.

Smith, B. J. (1982). Policy consideration related to early childhood special education (Series paper No. 1). In Ballard , Ramirez , & Weintraub (Eds.), Special education in America: Its legal and governmental foundation series. Reston, VA: Council for Exceptional Children.

10.

U.S. Government Accounting Office (1981). Disparities still exist in who gets special education. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

11.

U.S. Congress, House (1983, June 28). H.R. 3435, A bill to revise and extend the Education of the Handicapped Act and for other purposes, Section 623, 98th Cong., 1st sess. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

12.

U.S. Congress, House (1975, June 26). Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, 94th Cong., 1st sess. (Report No. 94--332). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

13.

U.S. Congress, Senate (1975, June 2). Education for All Handicapped Children Act, 94th Cong., 1st sess. (Report No. 94--168). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

14.

Wiegerink, R. , & Bartel, J.M. (1981). Early childhood services for the 80's: Executive summary. In R. Wiegerink (Ed.), Review of early childhood services: A state of the art series, Chapel Hill, NC: Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center.

15.

Wood, M. E. (1981). Costs of intervention programs. In C. Garland , N. W. Stone , J. Swanson , & G. Woodruff (Eds.), Early intervention for children with special needs and their families. Seattle, WA: Westar, University of Washington.

16.

Wright, A. R. , Cooperstein, R. A. , Renneker, E. , Grogan , & Padilla, C. (1982). Local implementation of P.L. 94--142: Final report of a longitudinal study. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.