Special Education & Early Intervention

First-ever equity-focused report examines state-by-state data on federally funded early intervention and special education programs from 2005-2021. The report finds areas where EI and ECSE are unequal, and sometimes clearly inequitable too. Most striking, we find that children living in states with lower state median incomes are less likely to receive both EI and ECSE. Asian, Black, and Hispanic children are less likely than White children to receive EI and ECSE. The differences are especially large for Black children and flip at school-age. Boys are twice as likely as girls to receive EI and ECSE. And, like other early childhood education programs, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in many fewer children receiving EI and ECSE. The report explores these themes further, highlighting both within and between state variations in who has access to EI and ECSE and where children receive services. We also lay out recommendations for increased funding, better data, and a national commission to explore the issues highlighted in the report.

Shortages of early childhood special education (ECSE) teachers are a pressing concern, whether because of problems that emerged with the COVID-19 pandemic or the steady rise in the number of young children requiring early intervention and preschool special education services. We collected data from a national sample of faculty in institutions of higher education with ECSE programs to assess their capacity to meet the nation’s needs for ECSE workforce expansion. We received responses from 76 faculty in 34 states regarding their demographic characteristics, roles and responsibilities, and future plans, and on program capabilities and capacities to provide the types of preparation needed by future ECSE teachers.