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A National Sample of Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Special Education Services and Parent Satisfaction

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Abstract

The Pre-Elementary Education Longitudinal Study (PEELS) examines the preschool and early elementary school experiences of a nationally representative sample of 3,104 children ages 3–5 with disabilities from 2004 through 2009. This paper describes the special education and related services received by a subsample of 186 preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in 2003–2004 and parental satisfaction with those services. Past research and patterns of litigation suggest that parents of children with ASD are not wholly satisfied with the special education and related services their children receive. In the current study, the authors found many similarities between children with ASD and children with other disabilities in the type of services received under IDEA and in parent satisfaction with these services. Still, some significant differences emerged in the number of services received, the amount of time children with ASD spent in special education settings, and parent satisfaction with the amount of time children spent with typically developing peers. Implications about the importance of parent satisfaction and social validity measures are discussed.

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Notes

  1. For more complete information, see Markowitz et al. (2006), available at http://www.peels.org.

  2. Because assessment results are not presented in this article, no further description is provided. Assessment information may be obtained at http://www.peels.org.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Special Education Research, under contract number ED-04-CO-0059. The authors would like to recognize the leadership and support of three PEELS project officers: Dr. Lisa Holden-Pitt, Dr. Patricia Gonzalez, and Dr. Celia Rosenquist, all of whom made invaluable contributions to the project.

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Author notes

  1. Sunil Misra

    Present address: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Westat, 1650 Research Boulevard, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA

    Amy Bitterman, Tamara C. Daley, Sunil Misra, Elaine Carlson & Joy Markowitz

Authors
  1. Amy Bitterman
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  2. Tamara C. Daley
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  3. Sunil Misra
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  4. Elaine Carlson
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  5. Joy Markowitz
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Correspondence to Elaine Carlson.

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Bitterman, A., Daley, T.C., Misra, S. et al. A National Sample of Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Special Education Services and Parent Satisfaction. J Autism Dev Disord 38, 1509–1517 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-007-0531-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-007-0531-9

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