Percentage of Children with Disabilities and Other Special Needs*

1. Percentage of Children with Disabilities and Other Special Needs* 12 to 16 Percent of All Children *Based on Estimates from Health Professionals and Professional Organizations like The American Academy of Pediatrics. The Center for the Improvement of Child Caring DAUN1

2. Number of Children Under Five in the United States with Disabilities and Other Special Needs* 2.3 to 3.1 Million *Based on Estimates of 12 to 16 Percent of All Children Having Disabilities and Other Special Needs. There are 19,136,690 Children Under Five Years of Age in the United States (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000) The Center for the Improvement of Child Caring DAUN2

3. Under-Detection of Young Children with Disabilities and Other Special Needs • Only 20 to 30 Percent of These Vulnerable Children Are Being Detected or Identified Before Entering School. • Only Children Who Are Detected Early In Life Can Participate in Early Intervention Programs and Services. • Thus, the 70 to 80 Percent Who Are Not Currently Being Detected Before Entering School Cannot Benefit from Early Intervention Programs and Services. The Center for the Improvement of Child Caring DAUN3

4. The Benefits for Early Intervention Programs* • Children with Disabilities and Other Special Needs Who Participate in High Quality Early Intervention Programs Are More Likely to: • Graduate from High School • Hold Jobs • Live Independently • Avoid Teen Pregnancy • Avoid Delinquency • Avoid Crime * Source: Shonkoff, J.P.and Meisels, S.J. (2000), Editors, Handbook of Early Childhood Intervention, Second Edition, Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. The Center for the Improvement of Child Caring DAUN4

5. The Monetary Cost Savings of Early Intervention Programs* • The Short and Long Term Benefits of Participating in Early Intervention Programs Produce: • Savings of Funds That Would Have Been Spent on Treatment, Special Education and Legal Services, and • Increases in Adult Productivity and Tax Revenues. • These Savings and Increases Are Estimated To Be Worth: $30,000 to $100,000 (Per Child) * Barrett, S.W. (2000). Economics of early childhood intervention. In Shonkoff, J.P. & Meisels, S.J., Editors, Handbook of Early Childhood Intervention, Second Edition, Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. The Center for the Improvement of Child Caring DAUN5

6. Total Monetary Cost Savings Based on $30,000 per Child* • If the 70 percent of Children with Disabilities and Other Special Needs Who Are Not Currently Available for Early Intervention Programs Were Participating in Such Programs, the Following Monetary Savings Would be Realized: $48.3 Billion Dollars Nationwide * $30,000 x the 70 percent of children who are estimated to have disabilities and other special needs and who are not being identified before entering school. Nationwide, the low estimate of the percentage of children under five with such needs is 12 percent, which breaks down to 2.3 million children. 70% of those children equals 1.61 million, which when multiplied by $30,000 equals $48.3 billion dollars. The Center for the Improvement of Child Caring DAUN6

7. Reasons for Under-Detection • Some Disabilities and Other Special Needs Are Difficult to Detect. • Some Disabilities and Other Special Needs Emerge Later in Development. • Parents have not been educated about the importance of early identification and the value of early intervention. • Parents have not had an easy way to be educated and involved. The Center for the Improvement of Child Caring DAUN7