Foundational Pillars of Early Intervention Welcome to the Foundational Pillars of Early Intervention. This module includes five topical sections. In this section we’ll explore the pillar “Natural Environments.” Let’s get started.

This module was developed by a national workgroup that formed out of the Early Intervention-Early Childhood Professional Development Community of Practice. Members of the workgroup have extensive experience developing and delivering early intervention training. This module is one part of a Universal Online Part C Early Intervention curriculum that may be used to support quality early intervention practices. http://universalonlinepartceicurriculum.pbworks.com

Natural environments are an essential part of early intervention, ensuring the rights of infants and toddlers to be included and participate in the same types of routines, activities, and places as available to all infants and toddlers. Picture source: Fotalia 3 Natural Environments

“NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS” I D E A Individuals with Disabilities Education Act The term natural environment was first used in the 1986 legislation and remains in the current Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA. The definition reads “to the maximum extent appropriate services are provided in natural environments, including the home and community settings in which children without disabilities participate.” http://idea.ed.gov/part-c/search/new 1432 [1][G] “to the maximum extent appropriate services are provided in natural environments, including the home and community settings in which children without disabilities participate.”

x A location for services such as the home or child care center meets the literal interpretation of natural environment in the law. However, focusing on the location alone falls short of meeting the best practices intent of the law.

Best practices define how natural environments include the places children and families spend time, the things they do, the toys they use in play, and the interactions they have throughout the day with the people they spend time with and know best. Let’s explore this a bit closer. Picture source: Fotalia

Look at this picture. Does it illustrate the full intent of early intervention in natural environments? The parent is wearing the bright blue shirt and is on the couch. The providers are on the floor with the twins. Picture courtesy of Army EDIS

Mother It actually does not. Look at the picture again and notice how the interventionists are working with the children while the mother sits on the couch and observes. Granted, the intervention is in the family’s home but the interactions fall short of meeting the spirit of the law and the provision of services in natural environments. The parent is being regarded as a passive participant while the interventionists engage the children. Now let’s see another example of intervention in natural environments. Picture courtesy of Army EDIS

Look at this picture. Does it illustrate the full intent of early intervention in natural environments? Picture courtesy of Army EDIS

It does. In this picture see how the therapist is supporting the parent as she works to help her daughter learn how to get off the couch safely. The therapist took the time to know the family and their daily routines and works with them to address their priorities in meaningful contexts. Intervention in natural environments is beginning with what the family identifies as important and what they want help with and works in partnership with them to identify and enhance natural learning opportunities. Picture courtesy of Army EDIS

Routines Based Approach 1:05-1:28 Take a moment now to watch and closely listen to this short clip from Virginia Early Intervention to further understand how natural environments and family day-to-day routines and activities provide natural opportunities for children’s learning. Pay particular attention to the video between one minute and one minute thirty seconds. Please click on the video link to view the video and the video will open in a new window. When you are finished watching the video please return to this presentation and press play. Video courtesy of VEIPD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpxGC6G0HMY&feature=youtu.be VIDEO Routines Based Approach 1:05-1:28 When you are finished watching the video please return to this window and press the play button to resume the presentation.

Natural Learning Opportunities …provide young children more practice opportunities The incredible importance of natural environments is that they provide young children so many learning opportunities to practice the skills and behaviors needed for their successful participation in day-to-day activities. After all; children naturally spend more time with their parents and caregivers than they ever would spend with an early intervention provider. Picture courtesy of Army EDIS

See here how this mom takes advantage of the opportunity to point to the bird out the window and draw her daughter’s attention to it. This typical event for this family can be used to model language, encourage joint attention, practice counting the birds and build mini conversations about the bird and what he does. Opportunities like this happen throughout the day. Picture courtesy of Army EDIS

Natural Learning Opportunities …naturally facilitate generalization of learning Natural environments facilitate generalization of learning throughout all the natural learning opportunities of the day. Children are not expected to take what is learned in a clinical setting and then apply it to their home and family life. It is practiced right where it needs to happen. It also does not burden families to find ways to fit extra things into their already busy lives. Picture courtesy of Army EDIS

Natural Occurrences In this picture the father is prompting his daughter to put the cup on the table without tipping it. This naturally happens many times in the day and she gets the positive feedback and support to become successful in places where it is most meaningful. Picture courtesy of Army EDIS

Natural Learning Opportunities …acknowledge the natural role parents play Providing intervention in natural environments acknowledges the essential role parents play as the most influential people in the child’s life – the natural facilitators of children’s learning in the early years and beyond.

See here how this father naturally engages in a playful interaction See here how this father naturally engages in a playful interaction. It’s clearly fun for both and a valuable learning experience. Picture courtesy of Army EDIS

In this picture you can see how the mother is giving her son the choice if he wants peanut butter or honey on his bread. She holds him up to see the choices and then responds to his pointing at the peanut butter by saying, “Peanut butter ? Okay. Let’s make a peanut butter sandwich.” Picture courtesy of Army EDIS

Services in natural environments …capitalize on using the materials, activities, routines, interactions, and locations already in the family’s life. By providing early intervention in natural environments, we can capitalize on using the routines, activities, and things the family already does. The role of the early intervention provider is then to assist the family to discover, use, and expand on these opportunities. Doing so enhances participation, engagement, and learning throughout the day. Picture source: Fotalia

Remember that providing services in natural environments and supporting families’ priorities means that intervention visits may occur in places other than the home. You may meet the family at a local restaurant, the grocery store, the playground, or any other place they go and would like early intervention support to address the functional outcomes they prioritized for their family. Picture source: Fotalia

Scheduling visits may also look differently when providing services in natural environments. To address a particular issue or concern, the provider may need to be with the family at the time of day that this occurs rather than a pre-set weekly time. Being there with the family allows the provider to see what is or is not working, to effectively and collaboratively identify strategies and to try those strategies in the moment to see if they are workable for the family.

Considering only the location of where services are provided. Please identify ALL of the examples listed that describe the spirit of natural environments. Hot spot 6 Meeting the child and family at their favorite restaurant so you can participate in a routine with them where you can then acknowledge the family is doing well and provide suggestions as needed to achieve their desired outcomes. Understanding the family's whole day; the activities that happen, the places they go, the things in which they are involved in AND seeing these as resources of children's learning! Hot spot 1 Taking what was done in clinic or special education setting and doing the same kinds of things in the home. Hot spot 2 Bringing your toy bag and lessons into the home and showing the family (and child) things to do. Hot spot 3 Hot spot 5 Beginning with what the family identifies as important, what they want help with, what they hope for. Let’s wrap up with a little exercise. Please click on ALL of the examples listed that describe the spirit of natural environments. Then click submit when you have finished. Considering only the location of where services are provided. Hot spot 4 You did not answer this question completely Correct - Click anywhere or press Control Y to continue Please click the "clear" button and try again. You must answer the question before continuing Incorrect - Click anywhere or press Control Y to continue Submit Clear

Yes Meeting the child and family at their favorite restaurant so you can participate in a routine with them where you can then acknowledge the family is doing well and provide suggestions as needed to achieve their desired outcomes. Beginning with what the family identifies as important, what they want help with, what they hope for. Understanding the family's whole day; the activities that happen, the places they go, the things in which they are involved in AND seeing these as resources of children's learning! Great job identifying which examples described the true spirit of natural environments. Now let’s review why the other examples were not good examples of natural environments.

Bringing your toy bag and lessons into the home and showing the family (and child) things to do. No Yes Capitalizing on using the materials, activities, routines, interactions, and locations already in the family’s life. If one of the benefits of providing intervention in natural environments is the ability to capitalize on using the materials, activities, routines, interactions, and locations already in the family’s life, then bringing in your own toys that will not be accessible to the family outside of your early intervention visits is not going to help the child or family during the countless hours/days that pass in between early intervention visits.

Bringing your toy bag and lessons into the home and showing the family (and child) things to do. No Yes Being flexible and following the families lead without focusing on your own ideas, lessons, and goals. Furthermore, the way early interventionists spend their time during their visits should be somewhat organic in nature and follow the family’s lead within their routines, activities and priorities. This may take some time and practice to learn how to be flexible and fluid with this process rather than focusing on your own ideas, lessons and goals for what you want to accomplish together.

Considering only the location of where services are provided. Yes Considering what family’s naturally do, where they do them, and who they do them with. Considering the location alone, and not the family’s routines and the people involved in the child’s life, is another example that would not be consistent with intervention in a natural environment. Natural environments go beyond the location by considering how services are provided in the context of what families naturally do, as well as where they do them and who they do them with.

Taking what was done in clinic or special education setting and doing the same kinds of things in the home. No Yes Natural learning opportunities naturally facilitate generalization of learning. The example for taking what was done in a clinic or special education setting and doing all the same things in the home is also not an example of natural environments. Often people think that just because the intervention is in the home that it means it is in a natural setting for the family. However, this is another example of where an interventionist is coming in with their own ideas and activities that may not be any part of the child and family’s routine, or be anything that they will have an ability to follow through with in between visits. Remember, natural learning opportunities naturally facilitate the generalization of learning and there is nothing natural for children and families if they’re being taught to replicate clinic-based activities.

As this section comes to a close it is important to remember that research shows that providing early intervention in natural environments and practicing the spirit of natural environments results in high quality early intervention. Providers can truly address families’ needs and concerns that happen throughout their day in the places and activities that are important to each family. Children benefit as using each family’s “natural environments” helps to maximize all the natural learning opportunities in the many places and activities that families and children are involved in throughout their day. Picture courtesy of Lynda Pletcher

References Dunst, C. J., Raab, M. Trivette, C. & Swanson, J. (2010). Community based everyday child learning opportunities. In R. A. McWilliam (Ed.), Working with families of young children with special needs (pp. 60-92). New York, NY: Guilford Press.   Dunst, C. J. & Bruder ,M. B. (1999, December/2000 January). Expanding learning opportunities for infants and toddlers in natural environments: A chance to conceptualize early intervention. ZERO to THREE 20(3), 34-36. Keilty, B. (2010). The early intervention guidebook for families and professionals: Partnering for success. New York: Teachers College Press. References that influenced content in this section include: Dunst, C. J., Raab, M. Trivette, C. & Swanson, J. (2010). Community based everyday child learning opportunities. In R. A. McWilliam (Ed.), Working with families of young children with special needs (pp. 60-92). New York, NY: Guilford Press.   Dunst, C. J. & Bruder ,M. B. (1999, December/2000 January). Expanding learning opportunities for infants and toddlers in natural environments: A chance to conceptualize early intervention. ZERO to THREE 20(3), 34-36. Keilty, B. (2010). The early intervention guidebook for families and professionals: Partnering for success. New York: Teachers College Press.

Special Thanks Special thanks to the following programs/organizations for making this module possible: Delaware Health and Social Services Birth to 3 Early Intervention System Department of Defense (DOD) Educational and Development Intervention Service (EDIS)  Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center Early Intervention Training Program (EITP) at the University of Illinois Montana Milestones/Part C Early Intervention Program Community Services Bureau/DDP Texas Part C Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) Services Virginia Early Intervention Professional Development (VEIPD)