Federal law states that early intervention services will be provided in natural environments, including home and community settings.

Early Intervention services should be family-centered

The regulations for Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act indicate that, to the maximum extent appropriate, early intervention services will be provided in natural environments, including home and community settings in which children without disabilities participate. Services can be provided in a setting other than the natural environment only when early intervention cannot be achieved satisfactorily in a natural environment. {(SEC.635 and SEC.636)}

Providing services in natural environments is not just the law, but more importantly, it reflects the core mission of early intervention, which is to support families to provide learning opportunities for their child within the activities, routines, and events of everyday life.

Early Intervention should be a truly family-centered process that ensures that young children with disabilities and their families receive early intervention services and support as part of their daily routines and activities.

Questions and answers

Why are everyday routines, activities, and places important?
Children learn throughout the day, wherever they are and whatever they do. Research confirms that everyday experiences, events and situations provide children with the best opportunities to learn and develop.

How are a child's everyday routines, activities and places identified?
Everyday routines, activities and places are unique to each child and family. They are identified by your family as you talk about your typical daily activities, such as visiting grandpa, walking to the store, getting the mail, feeding the dog, and doing the laundry. Children learn about "water" in the bathtub, washing hands in the sink, getting a drink, splashing in a puddle, or swimming in a pool. In addition to learning what water is, children learn self help skills like drinking from a cup, hand and face washing, or motor skills like walking and jumping. The location of these everyday routines and activities include places like the bathroom, kitchen sink, backyard, and community playground. These activities are your child's opportunities for learning and your family's opportunities for enhancing your child's development.

Guiding principles

Children's optimal development depends on their being viewed first as children and second as children with developmental delays and/or special needs in Natural Environments.

• early intervention services are provided in the home and community settings that are natural and normal for children of the same age with no disabilities.
• children have opportunities to develop and use their skills and abilities with children who do not have developmental delays.
• children with and without developmental delays learn from one another.
• children and families are supported to take the lead role and set expectations.

A child's greatest resource is their family.

Early intervention occurs in settings where the child and family would spend their time if their child did not have a disability or delay.