What Is Known About (In)Equity in Early Intervention? Findings From a Scoping Review and Metasynthesis

• In Event: How Do Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education Conceal Inequity? A Systematic Examination

Abstract

Presentation Summary: (497/500 words)


Objective
This multistage scoping review and metasynthesis describes research on the federally mandated Early Intervention (EI) pipeline and examines threats to EI access. There are well-documented racial, linguistic, and economic disparities, among others, at discrete steps in the EI pipeline (Cycyk et al., 2022; Durán et al., 2022; ECTA, 2023; US DOE, 2022). While it is clear that long-standing structural racism and discrimination underlie these disparities (Batz & Yadav, 2023; Blanchard et al., 2021; Meek et al., 2020), a comprehensive examination of factors influencing access across the EI pipeline is needed. In this study, we asked: What is the extent of research on access to IDEA Part C EI services for children with disabilities? What factors have shaped (in)equitable access to services throughout the IDEA Part C EI pipeline? This critical examination of the current research base will guide future research and conceptualizations of equity in EI.


Theoretical Framework
Our transdisciplinary research team involves undergraduate and graduate students and faculty. We use an intersectional framework (Crenshaw, 1991), as theorized by Black feminist theories and supported by frames of DisCrit (Annamma et al., 2013) and social and structural determinants of health (Crear-Perry, 2021).


Methods
This comprehensive multistage study includes a scoping review (Peters et al., 2022) and metasynthesis (Erwin et al., 2011). We considered retrospective original peer-reviewed quantitative and qualitative studies conducted in the United States in any year. Studies included data about children involved in EI and/or their caregivers, direct service providers, and Part C administrators. We created and piloted a data extraction protocol for the scoping review to answer our first research question. We will answer the second research question using metasynthesis procedures, including applying thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) and connecting themes to other literature similar to abductive analysis (Timmermans & Tavory, 2012). Two coders independently review every paper using Covidence. Disagreements are resolved via consensus in weekly team meetings.

Data Sources
We initially screened for titles/abstracts and completed a full-text review of 683 deduplicated papers, resulting in 78 papers in our start set ready for coding and data extraction. We then applied backward and forward snowballing to our start set (Wahlin, 2014; Ong et al., 2020), adding 3735 papers needing screening and full-text review. At the time of this submission, 373 studies remain to be screened.


Results
We anticipate that 85-100 papers will be included in the final set. Our scoping review findings will illuminate the trends of what, with whom, when, where, why, and how each step of the EI pipeline is researched. Our metasynthesis findings will describe key factors related to (in)equitable practices. We are on track to finalize the analyses by March 2024.

Significance
This study will support the refinement of research agendas that address recent calls to improve equity in EI (Blanchard et al., 2020; ECTA, 2023; Meek et al., 2022) and also facilitate the development of targeted interventions that have the greatest impact on children’s EI access given the limited personnel and fiscal resources in EI systems.

Authors

• Lauren Cycyk, University of Oregon

• Ruby Batz, University of Nevada - Reno