The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act introduces a new discretionary category of preschool eligibility: “developmental delay.” A recent DEC position paper supports the use of this new category but raises concerns about the transition from the broad category of developmental delay instead of eligibility categories commonly used in elementary school. Investigators at UCLA have been following two cohorts of young children with developmental delays and their families since 1979. Findings from these longitudinal studies relate directly to the concerns raised in the DEC document and support the introduction of the new category of eligibility.
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