What does “at-risk” mean?
The IDEA uses the term at risk to refer to infants and toddlers who (1) have no disability (“established condition”) and (2) have no delays in development. There is a suspicion on the part of early intervention professionals that the young child may at some time develop a disability and/or a delay. This suspicion may be based upon knowledge of the family. For example, if the parents both are high-school dropouts, the likelihood is that they are not as skilled at helping children to learn as are college graduates. For this reason, a delay in the child’s development may appear at some future time.
Children from single-parent homes often grow up feeling hopeless and angry and may resort to high-risk behaviors that often set them on a course of self-destruction. One in four children are growing up in single-parent homes, often lonely and depressed, without adequate opportunities to be engaged by adults in positive activities and social relationships. The experts tell us the wide variety of factors can be overcome. Big Brothers Big Sisters has proven results that show mentors are essential for a child’s success in achieving in spite of these challenges.
