Should my child receive early intervention services at home or a clinic?

Part C of IDEA requires that infants and toddlers eligible for early intervention receive services in natural environments as much as possible, such as the child's home. However, in some cases, services may also be provided in a clinical setting.

Clinic-based therapy is therapy received in a medical setting outside of your home — this may be at a doctor’s office, a hospital, a dedicated therapy clinic, or even a therapist’s home clinic. The therapy is provided in a setting that has been designed for that purpose, which gives the therapist and child access to a wider range of specialized equipment and simulated settings constructed for therapeutic use.

Another type of clinical setting is a center-based program. These early intervention programs are usually available beginning around age 18 months, although there are some programs that serve infants as well. Center-based programs mimic classrooms and teach socialization, routines, and behavior expectations, and they often have on-site OTs, SLPs, PTs, behaviorists, and feeding specialists.

For more information, see our full article Natural Setting : Early Intervention in the Home or Clinic.