Publication date: Jun 20, 2026
Background/Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative effect on early intervention (EI) delivery to children with developmental delays or disabilities. This study aimed to compare school readiness of children who received, or attempted to receive, EI before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home order. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted with a single state-funded center that delivers federally mandated EI. School readiness assessments were performed using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV). Fisher’s Exact tests, and Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA were performed to compare scores in children who began EI in the three time periods related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: A total of 56 children were enrolled in this study, the timing of EI start was available in 43, and 22 were able to complete all assessments. Statistically significant differences were found in WPPSI-IV Verbal Comprehension Index T scores (100 +/- 15) across the COVID-19 phases, with the lowest scores arising during the pandemic (76. 2 +/- 9. 3); the highest scores, pre-pandemic (98. 0 +/- 6. 2); and intermediate scores, post-pandemic (81. 5 +/- 10. 1, p
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| Concepts | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Autism | autism |
| Basel | COVID-19 |
| Home | early intervention |
| Pilot | mental health |
| school readiness |
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | COVID-19 Pandemic |
| disease | MESH | autism |
| disease | MESH | Developmental Disabilities |
| disease | MESH | ers |
| disease | MESH | anxiety |
| disease | MESH | included |
| disease | MESH | autism spectrum disorder |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Gold |