COMPARISON OF ELIGIBILITY POLICIES FOR INFANT/TODDLER PROGRAMS AND PRESCHOOL SPECIAL-EDUCATION PROGRAMS

The purpose of this study was to address three concerns expressed by parents, professionals, and policymakers about eligibility continuity for children moving from early intervention programs for infants and toddlers (Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA]) to preschool special education programs (Part B of IDEA). Three questions were used to guide the analysis: (a) Does discontinuity exist between the two policies? (b) What is the nature of the discontinuity? (c) What types of children are most likely to be affected by the discontinuity? Each of these questions was applied to the Part H and Part B eligibility policies of all the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Analysis revealed that the policies fell into three groups: States in which all children eligible under Part H would remain eligible under Part B (n = 14); states in which Part H eligible children would probably continue to be eligible for services under Part B (n = 10); and states in which the differences in Part H and Part B eligibility criteria caused some concern and doubt that all children eligible under Part H would be eligible under Part B (n = 27). The study also revealed that the eligibility policy variables have interactive effects and cannot be examined independently of one another.