Child Outcomes
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Breadth of the Three Child Outcomes
The three child outcomes, measured by early intervention and early childhood special education systems, encompass functional skills and behaviors that are meaningful for a child's participation in everyday routines. They cut across developmental domains to represent the integrated nature of how children develop, learn, and thrive. The breadth of these outcomes provides a framework for describing and consistently measuring children's functional skills and behaviors across settings and situations.
This downloadable infographic contains six "skill bundles" for each Outcome, which are used throughout the Child Outcomes Summary (COS) Process.
Breadth of the Three Child Outcomes (English) Desarrolo de los Tres Resultados Para El Niño (Español)
Outcome 1: Positive Social-Emotional Skills (including social relationships)
Relating With Caregivers
Demonstrate regulation and attachment, respond/initiate/sustain interactions, acknowledge comings and goings...
Attending to Other People in a Variety of Settings
Express awareness/caution, respond to/offer greetings, respond to own/others' names...
Interacting with Peers
Convey awareness, respond/initiate/sustain interactions, share/cope/resolve conflicts, play near and with peers...
Participating in Social Games and Communicating with Others
Respond to/initiate/sustain games and back-and-forth communication, demonstrate joint attention, engage in mutual activity, follow rules of games...
Following Social Norms and Adapting to Change in Routines
Transition between activities, respond to new/familiar settings/interactions, behave in ways that allow participation, follow routines and rules...
Expressing Own Emotions and Responding to Emotions of Others
Show pride/excitement/frustration, manage own emotions, display affection and comfort others...
Outcome 2: Acquisition and Use of Knowledge and Skills
Showing Interest in Learning
Persist, show eagerness and awareness, imitate/repeat actions, explore environment...
Using Problem Solving
Figure things out, use trial and error, remember steps/actions and execute them with intention, experiment with new/known actions...
Engaging in Purposeful Play
Show early awareness and exploration, use objects according to function, play by building, pretending, organizing and expanding play scenarios and roles...
Understanding Pre-Academics and Literacy
Notice differences or associations among things, demonstrate matching/sorting/labeling by size/color/shape/numbers/function, interact with books and pictures, practice early writing and reading...
Acquiring Language to Communicate
Learn and use sounds, words, and sentences with increasing complexity including sign language and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)...
Understanding Questions Asked and Directions Given
Respond to gestures/verbal requests, understand meaning of increasingly complex words/questions/directions, know and state details about self (e.g., name, age)...
Outcome 3: Use of Appropriate Behaviors to Meet Needs
Moving Around and Manipulating Things to Meet Needs
Move with increasing control and purpose (e.g., reach, roll, crawl, walk, run, climb) to navigate the environment - with accommodations as needed, manipulate objects/tools (e.g., crayons, scissors, switches, fragile items) with increasing control...
Eating and Drinking with Increasing Independence
Suck/swallow, chew, bite, finger feed, use utensils, hold bottle, drink from cup, show growing independence with amount/type of food eaten, access food and feed self....
Dressing and Undressing with Increasing Independence
Assist with dressing, take off/put on shoes and clothes, undo/do fasteners...
Diapering/Toileting and Washing with Increasing Independence
Lift legs for diaper change, sit on potty, wash hands, brush teeth, help with bathing...
Communicating Needs
Indicate hunger/need for sleep/diaper change, express discomfort/hurt, request or reject food, express choice/preferences...
Showing Safety Awareness
Avoid dangers (e.g., putting things in mouth, touching hot stove), follow safety rules across settings and situations...
Note: This awareness is less evident in very young children
See also: Child Outcomes Frameworks, Video: Child Outcomes Step-by-Step
National Data Analysis
Each year, the ECTA Center analyzes and reports a national summary of child outcomes data for Part C and Part B, Section 619. As part of the State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR), states are required to report on the percent of infants and toddlers with Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs) or preschool-age children with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) who demonstrate improved child outcomes.
FFY 2021 Child Outcomes Data Highlights
In this presentation, ECTA and DaSy Center staff discuss the national performance data for indicators C3 and B7, including national data, state variations in performance, and TA resources.
IDEA Child Outcomes Highlights for FFY 2021
The skills children master at different ages can be measured and described so that we can identify children who are developing too slowly. Children who are substantially behind their peers have developmental delays. OSEP has established five progress categories to convey developmental trajectories indicative of developmental delay.
Analysis Steps Used to Generate National Estimates for Child Outcomes Progress Categories, Summary Statements, and Results FFY 2021
The national estimates were computed using three methods:
- Computing weighted national estimates for all states
- Computing the unweighted national estimates for all states
- Computing the weighted national estimates for the reduced set of states with high-quality data
Additional National Child Outcomes Data
- Part C SPP/APR Analyses (see Indicator C-3)
- Part B, Section 619 SPP/APR Analyses (see Indicator B-7)
- OSEP Requirements: Reporting Child Outcomes (2017)
State Approaches to Child Outcomes Measurement
States use several different approaches to measure child outcomes, as illustrated in these maps.
State Approaches to Child Outcomes Measurement: Part C APR Indicator 3 FFY 2021 (2021–2022)
Out of 56 states and jurisdictions:
| Approach | % | # |
|---|---|---|
| COS Process | 71% | 40 |
| One Tool Statewide/Publisher System | 21% | 12 |
| State-Specific Approach | 5% | 3 |
| Transitioning Approach | 2% | 1 |
Child Outcomes Summary Process (N=40)
Most states use the Child Outcomes Summary Process, a team process for summarizing information about a child's functioning across multiples sources.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- American Samoa
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Georgia
- Guam
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Maine
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Vermont
- Virgin Islands
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
One Tool Statewide/Publisher System (N=12)
States entering item-level data into a state- or commercially-developed platform to compute entry and exit ratings or progress categories:
- District of Columbia
- Indiana
- Louisiana
- Massachusetts
- Nebraska
- New Jersey
- North Dakota
- Oregon
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Wyoming
State-Specific Approach (N=3)
States using multiple assessment approaches, or a scale other than the COS 7-point scale:
- California
- Kentucky
- Missouri
Transitioning Approach (N=1)
States transitioning from one measurement approach to another:
- Florida
State Approaches to Child Outcomes Measurement: Part B APR Indicator 7 (Section 619/Preschool) FFY 2021 (2021–2022)
Out of 59 states and jurisdictions:
| Approach | % | # |
|---|---|---|
| COS Process | 66% | 39 |
| One Tool Statewide/Publisher System | 19% | 11 |
| State-Specific Approach | 8% | 5 |
| Transitioning Approach | 7% | 4 |
Child Outcomes Summary Process (N=39)
Most states use the Child Outcomes Summary Process, a team process for summarizing information about a child's functioning across multiples sources.
- Alaska
- American Samoa
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Fed. States of Micronesia
- Georgia
- Guam
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Maine
- Marshall Islands
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Montana
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Palau
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
One Tool Statewide/Publisher System (N=11)
States entering item-level data into a state- or commercially-developed platform to compute entry and exit ratings or progress categories:
- Alabama
- California
- Connecticut
- Hawaii
- Indiana
- Louisiana
- Nebraska
- Oregon
- South Dakota
- Wyoming
- Virgin Islands
State-Specific Approach (N=5)
States using multiple assessment approaches, or a scale other than the COS 7-point scale:
- Colorado
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
Transitioning Approach (N=4)
States transitioning from one measurement approach to another:
- Florida
- Kentucky
- Mississippi
- New Jersey