Creating a National Data Base on Early Intervention Services

One component of a comprehensive system of early intervention services is a data system on early intervention. This article describes the data requirements in PL 99-457 and discusses some of the issues confronting states as they set about to develop their data systems. The Congressional mandate for data collection is presented along with a description of the process by which the Department of Education requests data from states. Problems of comprehensiveness, incompatibility, and confidentiality are discussed as examples of three of the many challenges states face in data systems development. Based on the limited data currently available from states, approximately 128, 000 infants, toddlers, and their families were estimated to have received early intervention in December 1988. This estimate is very imprecise because of the many problems states are encountering in reporting data. The article concludes with a discussion of the potential usefulness of national data on early intervention for policy and program administration.