Homeless children in emergency shelters: Need for prereferral intervention and potential eligibility for special education

The purpose of this study was to describe the level of need for special education services for probable behavioral disorders (BD), learning disabilities (LD), and mental retardation (MR) among school-age homeless children living in shelters. Children living in emergency homeless shelters face the dual challenge of being at risk for BD and learning problems while having limited access to special education programs. From a county-wide sample of 18 out of 22 emergency homeless shelters in Los Angeles, 118 homeless parents were interviewed, and 169 children were tested for BD, LD, and MR using standardized screening instruments. Almost one half of sheltered homeless children (46%) screened positive for at least one disability requiring special education services, with BD being the most prominent (30%). Procedures to identify early need for special education services should be adapted to accommodate the transiency of school-age children living in homeless shelters.