Abstract
Early intervention is critical for young children with developmental delays, and research shows improved outcomes for those who receive services. The Early Discovery (ED) Program, funded by a local organization, provides short-term, targeted early intervention services for children ages 0–5 in Miami-Dade County with mild delays who do not qualify for IDEA Part B or C. Services include speech-language, occupational intervention, behavior intervention, and developmental intervention. Families completed pre- and post-test assessments following an average of 8-20 sessions. This study examined outcomes across developmental domains.
During the 2024–2025 year, 422 children (34% female; Mage = 27.7 months, SD = 13.6) and their caregivers (Mage = 32 years, SD = 5.7) were enrolled. Families presented multiple risk factors: 17% of children were born prematurely (≤37 weeks), 14% lacked health insurance, and 74% reported household incomes of ≤$70,000. Participants received speech-language pathology (60%), general developmental intervention (20%), occupational intervention (15%), or behavioral intervention (5%). Eligibility required Miami-Dade residency and ineligibility for Part B or C services. Standardized assessments included the Preschool Language Scales–Fifth Edition (PLS-5), Peabody Developmental Motor Scales (PDMS-2), Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA), and Brigance. Outcomes were evaluated using program-specific improvement criteria, and children were classified as “improved” if criteria were met. Descriptive statistics were calculated to characterize participants and service use. Relationships between variables were tested using point-biserial and Pearson correlations and Chi squared tests.
Most children demonstrated meaningful gains. Among those who completed the program, 87% of speech-language participants improved in communication, 82% of occupational intervention participants improved in motor skills, 85% of behavior participants improved in social-emotional functioning, and 87% of developmental intervention participants improved in overall development. Also of note, female participants (91%) were more likely to improve than males (78%; Φ = .16, p = .045). No significant differences emerged by child age, race, ethnicity, prematurity, or insurance status, caregiver age, family income, or service type.
Results suggest the ED Program effectively promotes developmental progress among young children with mild delays who would otherwise remain unserved. Significant improvements across multiple domains highlight the value of short-term, targeted intervention in closing developmental gaps before school entry. Community-based programs like ED play a critical role in promoting equity by reaching children ineligible for IDEA services. Future research should examine long-term outcomes and explore strategies to sustain developmental gains beyond program completion.