Therapy in natural environments: The means or end goal for early intervention?

Collaboration between therapists and caregivers within natural environments such as homes, child care setting, and neighborhood recreation centers is the key to providing quality, family-centered care. How therapy is provided in these natural environments is just as important as where it is provided. Discussion is focused on rehabilitation specialists with roots in the medical model (i.e., physical and occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists) to acknowledge the benefits for children and families when therapists work in natural environments. The authors explore how working in natural environments reinforces family centered care; discuss the benefits for all parties when therapy is provided within daily routines and settings; describe a decision-making process for embedding natural environments within intervention and conclude by identifying challenges and guidelines to providing therapy in natural environments.