Abstract
Objective: To investigate the prevalence rates and health issues of Exceptional Children in Taiwan.
Method: Through studying 3687 cases, which are reliability weighted results from the popular samples of children, of 12 and under, in the 2005 Taiwan National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to analyze the relating prevalence rates and health issues.
Results :This study yields the prevalence rates of the following categories:
1.9% learning disability (LD,) 1.8% developmental delayed,
1.6% attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD,) 1.4% sensory integration (SI,)
3.5% with multiple above conditions.
Gender, low birth weight, premature, education of mother and family income are significantly associated to exceptional children （P<0.05.）. The observed relations of exceptional children with strabismus,
retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and blindness presents a statistical significance （P<0.05.） According to binary logistic regression, of the exceptional children of 12 and under, in gender perspective, boys’ odd ratio (OR=1.58) is 1.58 times of girls’ and the delta of their statistical significance levels qualifies as
“significant” (p<.017,) odd ratio of premature is 2.85 times of non-premature and the delta of statistical significance level (p<.0001) again qualifies as “significant.” Among exceptional children, the prevalence rate of strabismus, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and blindness（P<0.05,）and the prevalence rate of wearing hearing aid and history of tympanitis within past year, are both higher than normal children and statistically reach the level of “significant” （P<0.05.）
Conclusion: For earliest identification and offering effective aids, focusing on the high prevalence
possibility group of exception children to publicize the knowledge and concept of early intervention is the best mean to achieve the goal.
