Early Intervention Practices

Early Intervention Practices are what professionals in early intervention do with, and for, children and families to support optimal development in young children with delays and/or disabilities and family capacity to support their children. Evidence-based practices are practices that have been evaluated and proven to achieve positive outcomes for children and families. Practitioners can achieve positive outcomes for children and families by implementing evidence-based practices with fidelity. The Office of Innovative Projects provides support for evidence-based practices through guidance, professional development, and technical assistance to help service areas and ISD's implement practices. 

Resources related to early intervention practices can be found here.

  • icon Early On Role Assessment Tool Revised 2022 (PDF) - Posted:02/25/2022
  • icon CONNECT Modules

    • CONNECT: The Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge at the Frank Porter Graham Institute. Each CONNECT Module focuses on a discrete practice in a key content area and is organized around the 5-Step Learning Cycle. The 5-Step Learning Cycle is an innovative approach to making evidence-based practice decisions. It is based on realistic problems to solve and the importance of integrating multiple perspectives and sources of evidence.

  • icon Center for Early Literacy Learning

    • The Center for Early Literacy Learning promotes the adoption and sustained use of evidence-based early literacy learning by early childhood intervention practitioners, parents, and other caregivers of young children, birth to five years of age, with identified disabilities, developmental delays, and those at-risk for poor outcomes.

  • icon EI on the Fly

    • A podcast focused on all things early intervention!

  • icon Mission and Key Principles of Part C Early Intervention

    • Welcome to the Mission and Key Principles of Part C Early Intervention.

  • Authentic Assessment Folder IconAuthentic Assessment
    • icon Introduction

      • This module focuses on one particular and very important aspect of the evaluation and assessment process called authentic assessment.

    • icon Lesson 1 - What is Authentic Assessment?

      • This lesson focuses on what authentic assessment is and the two core activities that are included in authentic assessment, observing, and gathering information from others.

    • icon Lesson 2 - Understanding Why

      • This lesson explores why authentic assessment is important. Discussion of the kinds of information team members, including the family and caregivers, learn and how this information supports early intervention activities are shared.

    • icon Lesson 3 - Who, Where, When and Within?

      • In this lesson, we explore who participates in authentic assessment, where it may happen, when it can be done, and within what early intervention processes that can occur during a family's journey through early intervention.

    • icon Lesson 4 - Putting it All Together

      • In Lesson 4 we will briefly review what has been learned in this module and provide activities as you work to develop or refine your skills.

  • Coaching Folder IconCoaching
    • icon Coaching Support

      • Coaching Support Learning Community

    • icon Coaching from the Outside

      • In evidence-based early intervention, our primary aim is to coach, rather than to “do therapy” ourselves. We teach families how to help their children. The most challenging part of coaching can be finding effective ways to invite parents to participate and join in the interactions with their child. Learn more about coaching with this article from the Early Intervention Strategies for Success Blog.

    • icon Common Misperceptions about Coaching in Early Intervention (PDF) - Posted:12/04/2019

      • This CASEinPoint includes the common misperceptions about coaching as an interaction style used in early childhood intervention to strengthen and build the capacity of parents, care providers, and colleagues to improve existing abilities, develop new skills, and gain a deeper understanding of a current versus the desired situation.

      Based on Rush and Shelden's experiences and interactions with practitioners from across the United States, who both support and refute coaching as a part of early childhood intervention, this article contains the ten most common misperceptions about the use of coaching practices. Existing misperceptions are not limited to these ten, however, these or similar notions are the most frequently mentioned as barriers to implementing coaching as opposed to a more directive approach.

    • icon Foundations of Coaching in Early Childhood: Partnering with Parents and Professionals

      • This video training resource is for early childhood coaches, based on the 5 key characteristics of coaching as outlined by Dathan Rush and M'Lisa Shelden. 

    • icon Ongoing Support for Coaching & Natural Learning Environment Practices (PDF) - Posted:05/03/2019

      • Guidance for Facilitating Reflection with Individuals and Groups

  • Foundational Pillars Folder IconFoundational Pillars
    • icon Module 1: Family-Centered Practices

      • Welcome to the Foundational Pillars of Early Intervention. This module includes five topical sections. This section covers the 'Family-Centered Practices' Pillar.

    • icon Module 2: Children's Learning

      • Welcome to the Foundational Pillars of Early Intervention. This module includes five topical sections. In this section, we'll explore the pillar "Children's Learning".

    • icon Module 3: Natural Environments

      • Welcome to the Foundational Pillars of Early Intervention. This module includes five topical sections. In this section, we'll explore the pillar "Natural Environments".

    • icon Module 4: Adult Learning

      • Welcome to the Foundational Pillars of Early Intervention. In this section, we'll explore "Adult Learning".

    • icon Module 5: Quality Teaming

      • Welcome to the Foundational Pillars of Early Intervention. This module includes five sections. In this section, we'll explore the pillar "Quality Teaming".

    • icon Module 6: Closing

      • Now that you have completed all five sections of this online training resource you have the foundational knowledge of what family-centered practices, children's learning, natural environments, adult learning, and quality teaming look like in practice.

  • This is Your Brain Online: The Impact of Digital Technology Folder IconThis is Your Brain Online: The Impact of Digital Technology
    • icon This is Your Brain Online: Part 1

      • A growing body of research from a variety of disciplines indicates that the widespread use of digital technology - including computers. the internet, video games, and smartphones - has measurable, negative impact on the human brain especially for children under the age of 8. These 2 webinar recordings, conducted by Dr. Scott Becker, LP and Aislinn Sapp, MA, LLP, from Michigan State University, highlight much of this research and the effects of technology on infants and toddlers as well as the effects of distracted parents due to technology on infants and toddlers.

    • icon This is Your Brain Online: Part 2