Fact Sheet
Natural Environments for Infants and Toddlers Who Are Deaf or
Hard of Hearing and Their Families
Approved by the Joint Committee of ASHA-CED January 18,
2006
Why a Fact Sheet on Natural Environments?
The concept of "natural environments" as defined by
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 1997; 2004)
has created confusion regarding the appropriate settings for
services for families and their infants and toddlers who are deaf
or hard of hearing. The purpose of this fact sheet is to provide
clarification and recommendations from the Joint Committee of the
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the
Council on Education of the Deaf (CED) on natural environments.
This fact sheet provides recommendations for selecting natural
environments for families and their young deaf or hard of hearing
children, and for advocating for appropriate environments for
services; it also provides resources for further information.
What Are Natural Environments for Deaf or Hard of Hearing Infants
and Toddlers and Their Families?
The Joint Committee of ASHA and CED believes that natural
environments for infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of
hearing are environments that include family members and
caregivers, are developmentally appropriate, and provide direct
communication with adults and peers through one or more fully
accessible natural languages (e.g., American Sign Language,
spoken English, or Spanish). Natural signed and spoken languages
are languages that originate and develop over time through
ongoing social interaction among members of a cultural community.
Natural environments include the home, child care center, school,
or other setting where the child's language(s) and
communication modality (or modalities) are used by fluent adult
users and where peers are using and/or acquiring the same
languages through similar modalities. Natural environments should
be easily accessible to families and provide opportunities for
families to meet with professionals who are knowledgeable about
language and communication development in children with a hearing
loss and to interact with other families who have similarly
developing children, whether hearing, deaf, or hard of hearing.
Natural environments for infants and toddlers who are deaf or
hard of hearing and their families should be places where all
have full access to language and communication through visual,
auditory, and/or tactile communication systems specific to that
child and family.
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What Does IDEA, Part C, Say About Natural Environments?
Part C of IDEA states that early intervention services,
"to the maximum extent appropriate, are provided in natural
environments, including the home, and community settings in which
children without disabilities participate; and are provided in
conformity with an individualized family service plan adopted in
accordance with section 636" [Sec. 632(4) (G),(H)].
The legislation provides the opportunity for services in other
settings when the parents and the Individualized Family Service
Plan (IFSP) team determine that a child's needs cannot be
satisfactorily met in a "natural environment" as
defined above. The federal law states:
(A) to the maximum extent appropriate, early intervention
services are provided in natural environments; and
(B) the provision of early intervention services for any
infant or toddler with a disability occurs in a setting other
than a natural environment that is most appropriate, as
determined by the parent and the individualized family service
plan team, only when early intervention cannot be achieved
satisfactorily for the infant or toddler in a natural
environment [IDEA 2004 §635 (a)(16)(A),(B)].
While the IFSP team is required to justify why services may
need to be provided in settings other than a natural environment,
ASHA-CED believes the team should not feel compelled to provide
an undue burden of justification, as this would violate the
spirit of the requirement that the IFSP be based on the
individual needs of the child (Sec. 303.340).
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How Should Decisions About Natural Environments Be Made?
The U.S. Department of Education published a Policy
Guidance in 1992 regarding free, appropriate public education and
placement decisions for students (3-21 years old) who are deaf
and eligible for services under Part B of IDEA and Section 504 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Federal Register, October 30,
1992 [Vol. 57, No. 211]). According to IDEA 2004, the
Individualized Educational Program (IEP) Team must consider the
following factors in the development of the IEP and when making
placement decisions: the student's language and communication
needs; opportunities for direct communication with peers and
professional personnel in the child's language and
communication mode; academic level; full range of needs,
including opportunity for direct instruction in the child's
language and communication mode; and whether the child needs
assistive technology devices and services. ASHA and CED believe
that the decision of the IFSP team regarding the setting(s) for
services for young children (birth to 3 years old) and their
families should take into consideration the above special factors
and should ensure equal opportunity to obtain appropriate
services regardless of race, ethnicity, language, or other
personal characteristics. Decisions should likewise take into
consideration the availability of the following:
- fluent adult users of the language(s) and communication
modality (or modalities) of the child and family
- professionals who are culturally competent and provide
learning environments that promote the development of language,
cognition, and social-emotional growth at age-appropriate
levels
- professionals who provide the technological and
environmental support for the hearing, visual, and tactile
technology (or technologies) used by the child and family
- peers who are similarly developing and share the
language(s) and communication modality (or modalities) of the
individual child
- adults and peers who communicate directly with the child
(not through a sign language or oral interpreter or
transliterator)
- professionals who provide support for families to develop
meaningful relationships with other families and
professionals
- professionals who provide support for families to develop
meaningful communication that enhances the opportunity for
their young child to become a fully participating member of the
family
What If an Appropriate Setting for Services Is Not Provided?
The selection of a setting for services should be determined
by the IFSP team. Parents are equal participants on the team and
along with professionals determine when, where, and how services
are provided. If there is a disagreement, families may voice
their concerns and have them documented, request mediation, or
file a complaint or lawsuit.
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ASHA-CED Joint Committee Recommendations
When determining the setting for services for families and
their young children:
- consider home, community, and program settings (
including center-based programs) that provide full support for language and communication
development for the child and family
- base recommendations on a comprehensive assessment of the
child and the family's priorities, resources, and
concerns
- provide families with comprehensive information about all
programs and providers
- encourage families to visit all programs providing services
to young children with hearing loss and their families
- support families in selecting the programs, providers,
settings, and services that best meet the needs of the child
and family
- recommend programs and services that employ qualified
providers who are fluent users of the language(s) and
communication modality (or modalities) of the child.
Web Resources on Natural Environments for Individuals Who Are
Deaf or Hard of Hearing and Their Families
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