ERIC Number: EJ1440258
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Jun
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2326-6988
Disability Eligibility Patterns in Head Start Programs: A Comparison of Puerto Rico and the United States
Keysha A. Martinez-Torres; Stephen Camarata
Inclusion, v10 n2 p134-146 2022
Population-based research can identify eligibility patterns across e disabilities and cultures, and the Head Start ECLKC gathers relatively controlled data of students in the United States (U.S.) and Puerto Rico, providing an opportunity to directly compare cultures. We compared preschool diagnostic eligibility categories in the U.S. and Puerto Rico for speech/language impairment (SI), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental delay (DD), and intellectual disability (ID) across three years (2016-2018). We observed higher reporting of ASD & SI in Puerto Rico as compared to the U.S., suggesting increased awareness and education towards these diagnoses. While there was higher identification for SI and ASD, there was lower identification for DD and ID in Puerto Rico, suggesting that cultural differences impact how these disabilities are defined and assessed.
Descriptors: Eligibility, Disabilities, Federal Programs, Low Income Students, Social Services, Culture, Preschool Education, Identification, Speech Impairments, Language Impairments, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Developmental Delays, Intellectual Disability, Cultural Differences
American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. P.O. Box 1897, Lawrence, KS 66044-1897. Tel: 785-843-1235; Fax: 785-843-1274; e-mail: AJMR@allenpress.com; Web site: https://meridian.allenpress.com/inclusion
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Puerto Rico; United States
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Head Start
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A