A Comparison of the Effects of Type of Classroom and Service Characteristics on Toddlers with Disabilities

Abstract

This article presents a descriptive analysis of 37 toddler-age children in early intervention. The children had disabilities that ranged from moderate to severe, and they attended classroom settings that were either segregated (children with disabilities only) or inclusive (childcare classrooms having no more than two children with disabilities). The two groups of children were comparable on indices of child development and family background, and they were placed in classrooms according to service availability and family preference. A number of service characteristics differentiated the two types of classrooms, including a higher intensity and frequency of related services being delivered to children in segregated classrooms and larger groups of children and slightly longer hours in the childcare classroom. After 1 year of intervention, there was no difference in developmental progress between the two groups of children; that is, inclusive childcare settings were as effective as segregated classrooms for the group of toddlers discussed in this article.