Examining the Relationship Between Community Resources and Early Disability Identification: Variation by Child Race or Ethnicity

Abstract Early identification and intervention support for children with disabilities improve their cognitive, educational, and social outcomes. Studies show that disability identification varies by child race and ethnicity, with children from historically marginalized populations being less likely to be identified during early childhood, where identification tends to happen in the community. One major factor that varies across communities is their resources, broadly defined as the environmental, social, and economic factors within a geographically defined area. While extensive evidence exists noting inequitable distribution of community resources by race and ethnicity, little research has examined whether community resources are associated with differential early disability identification rates. This study explored the association between the availability of community resources and early disability identification and whether it varied by child race or ethnicity. Leveraging 2019 statewide data collected through the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE), we combined information about 91,210 incoming kindergarteners with the Child Opportunity Index 2.0 (COI), a measure of community resources known to be associated with child development. After controlling for multiple covariates, children entering kindergarten at schools in higher-resourced communities were more likely to be identified with a disability prior to kindergarten. Although access to community resources and early disability identification rates varied by child race and/or ethnicity, the interaction effect was not significant. This study has implications for viewing community resources as potential malleable factors to address children’s varying needs prior to the start of formal schooling.