Background: To advance early identification efforts, we must detect and characterize neurodevelopmental sequelae of risk among population-based samples early in development. However, variability across the typical-to-atypical continuum and heterogeneity within and across early emerging psychiatric/neurodevelopmental disorders represent fundamental…

There are a variety of services and supports in Minnesota for children and youth with autism who are age 0-21. These include services and supports provided by state agencies, including the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Minnesota Department of Education, Minnesota Department of Health, and the Minnesota Department of Employment and…

Individual child data from the Preschool Screening Programs of 402 Minnesota school districts were analyzed for problem identification and referral rates, areas of problem identification and referral, sex differences in rates, and other factors. The results from over 45,000 children revealed large variability in rates among school districts, as…

Preschool screening referral rates for developmental problems were examined for 219 Minnesota school districts across 2 school years. The state as a whole was consistent from year 1 to year 2 in terms of the percentage of children referred for screening. However, there was wide variation among individual districts. Three groups of districts were…

Examined ability of social, economic, and educational variables to predict screening referral rates among 398 school districts in statewide preschool screening program. Results from two studies indicated that screening referral rates were not related to broad social, economic, and educational factors in any simple way. Suggests implications for…

This manual describes the screening procedures used to identify infants and children in need of further diagnosis and treatment for hearing loss in Minnesota. It is intended for use by Community Health Service agencies, school health programs, Head Start agencies, and voluntary agencies, and should be used as a post-training reference. Newborn…

The article reports the frequency and hearing levels used in hearing screening by school districts in Minnesota. Such an array of standards probably indicates similar variation in pass-fail criteria and therefore precludes accurate reporting of the prevalence of hearing impairment in school age children. The need for standardization throughout the…

Current screening and diagnostic practices for identifying young handicapped children in Minnesota were surveyed. Information was gathered on the populations served, the professionals and tools employed in screening and diagnosis, decision criteria, and the perception of gaps and duplications in services. The results indicated a heavy reliance on…

The Infant Follow Along Program (IFAP) is an interagency effort to improve the identification of infants and toddlers who may experience health or developmental problems because of medical or environmental risk factors. The program also facilitates data collection and referral for services for infants and families. The program is in use in an…

Hierarchical cluster analysis techniques were used to identify subtypes of 125 Minnesota students with learning disabilities (LD) in grades 1 through 6, and to investigate their academic performance. The measure used for clustering was the Basic Academic Skills Samples (BASS), an index of student proficiency in basic academic skill areas (reading,…