Program Expenditure Study

A collaboration between SRI International and American Institutes for Research for the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education.

Purpose

The Early Intervention Program Expenditure Survey is coordinated with the National Early Intervention Longitudinal Study (NEILS) being conducted by SRI International.

The Program Expenditure Survey will provide an estimate of the total expenditures on early intervention services for children, birth through age three, and their families, as provided under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

These expenditure estimates will be combined with the information on the outcomes of early intervention service to explore the relationship between the two.

Four major research questions will be addressed:

• How much is being spent on early intervention services in the U.S.?



• How does per child spending vary as a function of chilld and family characteristics?



• What are the patterns of these expenditure variations across different states, and how do these relate to state and local policy differences?



• What are the relationships between expenditures and outcomes for children at age 36 months and their families?

Data Collection

A total of 159 early intervention agencies and programs have completed the Program Expenditure Survey.

To ensure that the study is relevant and reflects what is really going on, we selected a sample of agencies and programs that represent a diverse range of public and private early intervention sites. The early intervention services that these sites provide take place in a variety of settings and insitutional contexts:

• Community-based agencies



• Schools



• Hospitals



• Social service/mental health agencies



• Therapy clinics/office facilities



• Families' homes

The sites involved also vary in the types of services provided. Some offer a comprehensive range of direct services in one location, and some agencies have only the responsibility of intake or service coordination.

By working with a large, diverse sample that is weighted toward larger agencies, we can ensure that the conclusions we draw accurately represent the spectrum of early intervention services offered.

As of December 2001, we completed collecting expenditure surveys from the various early intervention agencies and programs. We are currently involved in data analysis.

More about linking with the NEILS at SRI

The sampling and data collection strategies for the Expenditure Survey are closely integrated with the work being done by SRI International on the main NEILS study.

The SRI study focuses on children, their families, and the services they receive. The program expenditure study will focus on the patterns of spending on the services provided to the children and their families.

We will then match up the expenditures incurred and the outcomes achieved, and will explore the relationship between expenditures and outcomes.

We will be able to trace the types and amounts of services received by each child in the NEILS study from the time a child and family begin services until they exit from early intervention.

With these data, we can estimate the total expenditures on early intervention services at the national level.

NEILS Program Expenditure Study Investigators

American Institute for Research
Dr. Jay G. Chambers
Dr. Joanne Lieberman
Irene Lam

For more information

NEILS Expenditure Study
American Institute for Research
1791 Arastradero Road
Palo Alto, CA 94304-1337

Phone:		(888) 414-6828
Fax:		(650) 858-0958
TDD:		(650) 493-2209