Skip to main content
PMC home page
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 1997 Feb;87(2):236–240. doi: 10.2105/ajph.87.2.236

Sheltered homeless children: their eligibility and unmet need for special education evaluations.

B T Zima 1, R Bussing 1, S R Forness 1, B Benjamin 1
PMCID: PMC1380800  PMID: 9103103

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study described the proportion of sheltered homeless children in Los Angeles, Calif, who were eligible for special education evaluations because of a probable behavioral disorder, learning disability, or mental retardation, and to explore their level of unmet need for special education services. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 118 parents and 169 children aged 6 through 12 years living in 18 emergency homeless family shelters in Los Angeles County, California. Parents and children were interviewed with standardized mental health and academic skill measures in English and Spanish. RESULTS: Almost half (45%) of the children met criteria for a special education evaluation, yet less than one quarter (22%) had ever received special education testing or placement. The main point of contact for children with behavioral disorders and learning problems was the general health care sector. CONCLUSIONS: School-aged sheltered homeless children have a high level of unmet need for special education evaluations, the first step toward accessing special education programs. Interventions for homeless children should include integration of services across special education, general health care, and housing service sectors.

Full text

PDF
236

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alperstein G., Rappaport C., Flanigan J. M. Health problems of homeless children in New York City. Am J Public Health. 1988 Sep;78(9):1232–1233. doi: 10.2105/ajph.78.9.1232. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bass J. L., Brennan P., Mehta K. A., Kodzis S. Pediatric problems in a suburban shelter for homeless families. Pediatrics. 1990 Jan;85(1):33–38. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bassuk E. L., Rosenberg L. Psychosocial characteristics of homeless children and children with homes. Pediatrics. 1990 Mar;85(3):257–261. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bassuk E., Rubin L. Homeless children: a neglected population. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1987 Apr;57(2):279–286. doi: 10.1111/j.1939-0025.1987.tb03538.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Burg M. A. Health problems of sheltered homeless women and their dependent children. Health Soc Work. 1994 May;19(2):125–131. doi: 10.1093/hsw/19.2.125. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Fox S. J., Barrnett R. J., Davies M., Bird H. R. Psychopathology and developmental delay in homeless children: a pilot study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1990 Sep;29(5):732–735. doi: 10.1097/00004583-199009000-00009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hu D. J., Covell R. M., Morgan J., Arcia J. Health care needs for children of the recently homeless. J Community Health. 1989 Spring;14(1):1–8. doi: 10.1007/BF01324435. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Mannuzza S., Klein R. G., Bessler A., Malloy P., LaPadula M. Adult outcome of hyperactive boys. Educational achievement, occupational rank, and psychiatric status. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1993 Jul;50(7):565–576. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1993.01820190067007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Masten A. S., Miliotis D., Graham-Bermann S. A., Ramirez M., Neemann J. Children in homeless families: risks to mental health and development. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1993 Apr;61(2):335–343. doi: 10.1037//0022-006x.61.2.335. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. McGee R., Share D. L. Attention deficit disorder-hyperactivity and academic failure: which comes first and what should be treated? J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1988 May;27(3):318–325. doi: 10.1097/00004583-198805000-00009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Miller D. S., Lin E. H. Children in sheltered homeless families: reported health status and use of health services. Pediatrics. 1988 May;81(5):668–673. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Page A. J., Ainsworth A. D., Pett M. A. Homeless families and their children's health problems. A Utah urban experience. West J Med. 1993 Jan;158(1):30–35. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Parker R. M., Rescorla L. A., Finkelstein J. A., Barnes N., Holmes J. H., Stolley P. D. A survey of the health of homeless children in Philadelphia shelters. Am J Dis Child. 1991 May;145(5):520–526. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1991.02160050046011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Rafferty Y., Shinn M. The impact of homelessness on children. Am Psychol. 1991 Nov;46(11):1170–1179. doi: 10.1037//0003-066x.46.11.1170. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Rescorla L., Parker R., Stolley P. Ability, achievement, and adjustment in homeless children. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1991 Apr;61(2):210–220. doi: 10.1037/h0079236. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Riemer J. G., Van Cleve L., Galbraith M. Barriers to well child care for homeless children under age 13. Public Health Nurs. 1995 Feb;12(1):61–66. doi: 10.1111/j.1525-1446.1995.tb00124.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Roth L., Fox E. R. Children of homeless families: health status and access to health care. J Community Health. 1990 Aug;15(4):275–284. doi: 10.1007/BF01350293. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Stanovich K. E. Explaining the differences between the dyslexic and the garden-variety poor reader: the phonological-core variable-difference model. J Learn Disabil. 1988 Dec;21(10):590–604. doi: 10.1177/002221948802101003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Szatmari P., Offord D. R., Boyle M. H. Ontario Child Health Study: prevalence of attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1989 Mar;30(2):219–230. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1989.tb00236.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Wiley D. C., Ballard D. J. How can schools help children from homeless families? J Sch Health. 1993 Sep;63(7):291–293. doi: 10.1111/j.1746-1561.1993.tb06146.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Wood D. L., Valdez R. B., Hayashi T., Shen A. Health of homeless children and housed, poor children. Pediatrics. 1990 Dec;86(6):858–866. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Zima B. T., Wells K. B., Benjamin B., Duan N. Mental health problems among homeless mothers: relationship to service use and child mental health problems. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1996 Apr;53(4):332–338. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1996.01830040068011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Zima B. T., Wells K. B., Freeman H. E. Emotional and behavioral problems and severe academic delays among sheltered homeless children in Los Angeles County. Am J Public Health. 1994 Feb;84(2):260–264. doi: 10.2105/ajph.84.2.260. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES