Abstract
Under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act children with developmental disabilities are entitled to receive Early Intervention services during the infant and toddler years followed by preschool services. This chapter reviews the evidence on the effectiveness of such services. With the exception of early intensive behavioral interventions provided to children with autism spectrum disorder, the evaluation of such services is limited. Nevertheless, small to moderate effects have been reported for Early Intervention services, with larger effects noted for services focused on specific skill development of those with autism spectrum disorder and smaller effects reported for academic outcomes of those in early childhood special education services. Future efforts need to consider how service systems work together to support children with developmental disabilities.
