Award Date

1-1-2005

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Special Education

First Committee Member

Nancy M. Sileo

Number of Pages

99

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate utilization of seventeen services, including occupational and physical therapy, provided through Nevada Early Intervention Services (NEIS)-South between July 2003 and June 2005. Eligibility for services was determined by the child's qualifying diagnosis according to the Individuals with Disabilities Act (1997) and was based on either (1) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-4th Edition Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) or medical diagnosis or (2) developmental delay as defined by the Nevada Administrative Code for children ages birth through three years. Analyses of the services provided based on the eligibility criteria was undertaken to determine service referral trends and provide suggestions to NEIS-South based on compiled program data; All children who received an initial Individualized Family Service Plan through NEIS-South during the two year period were included in this study with a resultant 1516 files analyzed. The premise of the study was that all children referred to NEIS-South received necessary services. Two specific research questions were addressed in this study. First, did children who possessed a DSM-IV-TR or medical diagnosis as the qualifier for Part C services receive more early intervention services than children diagnosed with developmental delay based on the types of services per month and interventions received? Second, did children with a DSM-IV-TR or medical diagnosis receive occupational and/or physical therapy more frequently than children with a diagnosis of developmental delay?;Data analysis indicated that 486 (32.1%) of children qualified for services through NEIS-South based on a DSM-IV-TR or medical diagnosis. There were 1030 (67.9%) children who qualified based on a diagnosis of developmental delay. Three of the seventeen identified services received the largest number of referrals and were determined to be statistically significant through Chi square analyses. These services were speech language pathology (n = 642, 14.74%), specialized instruction (n = 1231, 28.27%), and parent/family training (n = 1450, 33.3%); Recommendations for evaluation of service categories and training programs were provided for NEIS-South as well as agencies bidding to provide subcontracting services through NEIS-South.

Keywords

Delivery; Developmental Delay; Early Intervention; Evaluation Interventions; Programs; Services; Service Delivery

Controlled Subject

Early childhood education; School management and organization; Special education; Physical therapy

File Format

pdf

File Size

2488.32 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

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