Below you will find resources related to natural learning environments. Resources include a preview of some of the resources you may find on the websites of a variety of national resources, Illinois specific resources from Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS), and online training modules. Please remember that the Early Intervention Provider Handbook also includes information on the Natural Environment Requirement in the Illinois Early Intervention System.
Page contains the following sections:
Articles on Natural Environments
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Why is the Natural Environment So Important? (pdf) A one-page document developed by TaCTICS (Teaching a Collaborative Team Infant/Toddler Community Services) to explain the importance of the natural environment in everyday events.
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Routines-Based Early Intervention: Robin McWilliam's approach emphasizes child engagement, support to families, and functional interventions (pdf) This article includes information on Routines-Based Early Intervention and helps with understanding the family ecology, participation-based child outcomes, support-based home visits, functional family-centered needs assessment, integrated services, and collaborative consultation to child care.
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Side by Side: Transdisciplinary Early Intervention in Natural Environments (pdf) This article was written by Kristine Ovland Pilkington and is posted on The American Occupational Therapy Association website. It provides strategies for supporting families in natural environments including evaluation in natural environments, engaging families, and thoughts on intervention in natural environments.
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Creating and Using the Learning Environment From Ireland's National Council for Curriculum and Assessment comes a great resource on creating and using learning environments which includes self-assessment tools, resources, action planning tools and other examples and ideas.
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Illinois Resources around Natural Environments
Trainings from EITP
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Natural Environments & the Developmental Justification of Need Requirement is an online training module available to view as a resource from the EITP online training of the same name. This module provides information about the federal requirement for services in the child's natural environment as well as further examines Illinois' processes and procedures to make changes to the frequency, intensity, or location of services on the Individualized Family Service Plan. Please visit our "EITP Online Training Events" page to register for this training to receive EI credit.
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From Outcomes to Strategies to Service Plan is an online module from the Illinois Early Intervention "Online System Overview" training that is available to view as a resource. This particular module examines the concept of natural learning environments and requirements for IFSP planning.
DHS Resources and Notices
Resources from the EI Clearinghouse
Resources from EITP
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EI and Child Care: Natural Partners in Natural Environments (video) This video highlights the many benefits of collaborating to support children in their child care setting and discusses how Early Intervention and child care can partner to support children and families. Early Interventionists, child care providers, and families share their experiences of how this partnership benefits everyone involved.
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Natural Partners in Natural Environments: Childcare and EI - A Guide to Early Intervention Services in Illinois (pdf)
This booklet has a wealth of information for child care providers about early intervention (EI)! It describes how the EI system works within Illinois and how you can best support young children and their families considering EI services or involved with an EI team already.
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Working with Early Intervention as a Child Care Provider (pdf)
Child care providers are an important part of a child's life and can be a valuable resource during an EI visit and as part of the EI team. This brief handout provides an overview of EI services in Illinois, what to expect during an EI visit, how CCPs work to support EI and additional resources.
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Working in Child Care as an EI Provider (pdf)
Child care settings are ideal for EI services! This 2-page handout describes ways in which EI providers can involve child care providers (CCPs) in services, and considerations to make during visits to child care settings and while working with CCPs, as well as additional resources to support this essential teamwork.
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"What is Early Intervention?" (pdf)
This 2-page handout defines Early Intervention (EI) and explains what happens during an EI visit. It also stresses the importance of parents in EI, identifies possible EI team members, and highlights resources that can provide additional information about EI.
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Information, resources, and other related materials on the Routines-Based Interview (RBI) can be found at this resource.
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ECTA is supported by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Below you will find a few of the many resources ECTA has posted. Please visit the ECTA website for more information.
PDFs You May Like from the Workgroup on Principles and Practices in Natural Environments:
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FACETS, an exciting collaborative Outreach Program for Young Children with Disabilities in the field of Early Intervention (ages birth through three years). This joint project, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, between the University of Kansas and Florida State University, provides training for family-guided, activity-based intervention strategies. Below you will find a few of the many resources available on their website. The FACETS training modules and website have additional PDFs than the ones listed below, so please visit their website for more information.
PDFs You May Like from the FACETS Training Modules:
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TaCTICS (Therapists as Collaborative Team members for Infant/Toddler Community Services) was an outreach training project funded by a U.S. Department of Education Grant. This website is being maintained to share tools useful in skillfully navigating the path toward provision of Part C Services using the child/family's daily routines, activities, and events as a context for assessment and intervention. Below are a few of the many support materials that can be found on the TaCTICS website within their four training modules. Please visit their website for more information.
PDFs You May Like from TaCTICS:
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A part of the Family, Infant, Preschool Program (FIPP), this Center provides evidence-based practices to support professionals in partnering with families. Below you will find some of the many resources from the CASE website. Please visit their website for more information.
PDFs You May Like from CASE:
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Provides information and resources related to how to use evidence-based practices to provide supports to families within the context of their natural learning environments. Below you will find a few resources from the Coaching in Early Childhood website. Please visit their website for more information.
PDFs You May Like from Coaching in Early Childhood:
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The goal of the Center for Early Learning Literacy (CELL) is to promote the adoption and sustained use of evidence-based early literacy learning practices. The site has resources for early childhood intervention practitioners, parents, and other caregivers of children, birth to five years of age, with identified disabilities, developmental delays, and those at-risk for poor outcomes.
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ECLKC provides resources around Environment practices centered around the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF) and the DEC Recommended Practices. Resources for each topic area are organized based on their level of impact on learning.
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