Provision of services for young children with disabilities experiencing abuse and neglect

Legislation in the United States, such as the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (2010) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004), mandates service system collaboration to meet the complex needs of young children with disabilities who have experienced abuse. This multiphase integrated mixed methods study examined ways the Early Intervention (EI) and Child Welfare (CW) systems support very young (i.e., birth to three years) children with disabilities who have experienced abuse. To answer these questions, data were purposefully collected to span three levels of service provision. Data gathered from each level were purposefully mixed to understand this complex phenomenon. Implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed