Early Intervention Services: Key Principles and Practices

The OSEP TA Community of Practice on Part C Settings: Services in Natural Environments convened a national workgroup that produced several consensus documents on principles and practices validated through research, model demonstration and outreach projects. While "natural environments" is a legal requirement, it is now understood as more than "a place" but best/effective practices based on the literature.

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Seven Key Principles and Practices for Providing Early Intervention Services in Natural Environments

1. Infants and toddlers learn best through everyday experiences and interactions with familiar people in familiar contexts.
2. All families, with the necessary supports and resources, can enhance their children's learning and development.
3. The primary role of a service provider in early intervention is to work with and support family members and caregivers in children's lives.
4. The early intervention process, from initial contacts through transition, must be dynamic and individualized to reflect the child's and family members' preferences, learning styles and cultural beliefs.
5. IFSP outcomes must be functional and based on children's and families' needs and family-identified priorities.
6. The family's priorities, needs and interests are addressed most appropriately by a primary provider who represents and receives team and community support.
7. Interventions with young children and family members must be based on explicit principles, validated practices, best available research, and relevant laws and regulations.

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Related Documents

• Key Principles and Practices for Providing Early Intervention Services in Natural Environments: Reaching Consensus, presented at the December 2007 OSEP National Early Childhood Conference, describes the documents below and their development.
• Mission and Key Principles for Providing Early Intervention Services in Natural Environments
• Seven Key Principles: Looks Like/Doesn't Look like
• Agreed upon Practices for Providing Early Intervention Services in Natural Environments
• Literature Supporting Key Principles: This searchable database was supported by the WA Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) Program.
• Crosswalks: Discipline-Specific Support for Key Principles and Practices: This page highlights how the position statements, resources and literature across various professional organizations working in early intervention support the Agreed Upon Practices and addresses how the services of these professional organizations align with high quality early intervention practices.