Child Find in early childhood education

Early identification of young children with disabilities is essential to ensure that children are receiving the supports and services they need to encourage and support their development. This identification of young children with disabilities currently takes multiple forms and occurs across multiple settings. Specifically, many children, ages 3 to 5, are in the care of their parents at home or in a family day care setting due to the varying availability of early childhood education programs across the country. This literature review explores issues surrounding early childhood identification, such as prevention, risk factors, Child Find, and Response to Intervention, and discusses both the willingness and ability of providers to utilize the resources connected to Child Find across three early childhood settings (family day care, home, and early childhood education programs). Additionally, this literature review discusses the research showing the benefits of early childhood education programs for all young children. \n