Preschool predictors of the need for early remedial and special education services

We examined child, family, and early child care predictors of teacher reports of referral for or placement in special and remedial education for 999 youth. Using data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development and nested multivariate modeling techniques, we found that sociodemographic factors, child cognitive abilities, and child behavior were most strongly associated with special education services. Specifically, lower income, cognitive ability, prosocial ability, and maternal sensitivity (as defined by ratings of mother-child interactions) were all associated with both remedial (e.g., reading assistance) and special education (e.g., part- and full-day resource room) services by second grade. Child birth order and number of measurement times (6,15, 24, 36, and 54 months) when child was in center care were associated with remedial services only, whereas child gender and parent marital status (never partnered) were associated with special education only. The effects of early identification of learning disabilities are discussed.