Using Survival Analysis to Describe Developmental Achievements of Early Intervention Recipients at Kindergarten

Abstract

Survival analysis was used to document the developmental achievements of 2298 kindergarten children who participated in the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study, a study that followed children from entry to Part C early intervention (EI) through kindergarten. Survival functions were produced depicting the percentage of children at kindergarten who attained age-grouped developmental milestones ranging from 1 to 12 months through over 60 months. Survival functions were compared on the basis of disability characteristics at entry to EI and kindergarten disability and special education status. Larger percentages of former EI recipients receiving special education in kindergarten and those entering EI with a diagnosed condition failed to achieve early milestones. The utility of survival analysis in presenting diverse developmental achievements is discussed.

Keywords: Early Intervention, Kindergarten, Young Children, Child Development, Achievement, Longitudinal Studies, Special Education, Disabilities, Statistical Analysis