Delay in referral to early-intervention services.

Abstract

To the Editor .— In their article regarding early-intervention services provided through Part C of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, Bailey et al1 express concern that the length of time is excessive between the identification of a child with a possible disability and referral for intervention services. However, whether this delay in referral for intervention is harmful totally depends on whether the interventions available are effective. The Part C program serves a large number of children with a variety of disabilities or risk factors, and the effectiveness of the interventions differs with the disability involved. For example, for children diagnosed early with hearing loss, the effectiveness of early intervention is well-supported by existing data, and a delay in referral for intervention may have a substantial negative impact on the future development of the child with hearing loss. Depending on how risk is defined, varying numbers of children, perhaps a majority, who might be referred for early-intervention services because they have been deemed at risk, will develop normally even if early-intervention services are not provided. For such children, it can be argued that immediate referral for intervention …