Group and Center-Based Early Intervention (EI): A Family FAQ

This resource is for families interested in learning about Early Intervention (EI) services and how group or center-based formats can support early development. It is informational, not promotional, and it focuses on research-supported concepts and widely used best-practice guidance.

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Quick facts and takeaways

• Kids learn a lot from being around other kids. Group and center-based settings give children real chances to practice talking and playing together. This is supported by research on peer-mediated intervention.
• Children pick up language from the kids around them. In preschool settings, classmates can serve as meaningful models for developing communication skills, as described in this peer effects language study.
• Pairing kids together to practice social skills actually works. Peer-mediated intervention (PMI) is a research-supported approach for building social communication and interaction skills, particularly for children with autism-related social needs, as summarized in this systematic review of peer-mediated interventions.
• Early Intervention services are meant to happen where kids already spend their time. IDEA Part C emphasizes services in “natural environments,”  the everyday settings, routines, and activities where young children typically live, learn, and play, as summarized in ASHA’s issue brief on natural environments, the ECTA Center’s Part C law and regulations overview, and the NYS Department of Health’s parent guide on natural environments.
• The best learning happens during everyday moments, not just in therapy sessions. Evidence-based early childhood practices often embed learning into routines like play, snack, and transitions. A widely used framework for this approach is the DEC Recommended Practices.
• For young children with autism, practicing with peers can make a real difference. Peer-mediated intervention has evidence for improving social-communication outcomes across many studies, as described in the same systematic review of peer-mediated interventions.

FAQ

1. What is Early Intervention (EI)?

Early Intervention is a program that helps babies and toddlers (from birth to age 3) who aren’t hitting developmental milestones on time. It also supports their families. The program is part of a federal law called IDEA Part C, which sets the rules for how these services work across the country.

IDEA Part C establishes the service framework, eligibility requirements, and family rights that shape EI nationwide. An accessible overview of Part C and its structure is available in the ECTA Center’s Part C law and regulations resource.

2. What does “group” or “center-based” EI mean?

Instead of a therapist coming to your home, your child goes to a center or clinic where services happen in a group setting. There are usually other children there, and the day follows a routine with planned aactivities. It can look like a small class, a play group, or a structured learning session.

These formats may include small-group sessions, therapeutic playgroups, or supports embedded within early learning activities, all delivered within predictable routines and structured environments.

3. Why do families seek group or center-based options?

A lot of the skills young children need to develop are social, like talking to others, joining in on play, waiting their turn, and handling changes in activity. Group settings give kids regular chances to practice these skills with other children while adults are right there helping them along.

Many early developmental skills are social and participation-based: communicating needs, joining play, shifting attention, taking turns, and coping with transitions. Group and center settings can create consistent opportunities for children to practice these skills in real time while adults support engagement and learning within everyday activities.

4. Why is exposure to other children considered an important benefit?

Being around other kids gives children natural reasons to communicate. They need to ask for a toy, respond to a friend, or figure out how to join a game. Other children also show them how talking and playing work, which can help a child pick up new skills.

Peers provide models for language and play and create authentic reasons to communicate, including requesting, responding, negotiating, repairing misunderstandings, and rejoining an activity. Research in preschool settings has found that children’s language growth can be influenced by classmates’ language skills, which you can review in this peer effects study.

5. Does research support peer-focused approaches in early childhood intervention?

Yes. There is a well-studied method called peer-mediated intervention, where adults set up and support interactions between children on purpose so that kids can practice social and communication skills together. Research reviews have found that this approach can lead to more social engagement, better responses, and improved communication.

Peer-mediated intervention (PMI) intentionally supports peer interactions to build social communication and engagement. A systematic review discussing outcomes such as social initiations, responses, and communication can be read in this peer-mediated intervention systematic review.

6. Do children learn automatically just by being near other children?

Not automatically. Just being in the same room as other kids helps create chances to learn, but children do best when adults are actively involved – setting up activities, helping kids join in, and guiding interactions. The learning happens when someone is paying attention and supporting the child through those moments.

Outcomes are strongest when adults intentionally support engagement, structure activities, and help children participate successfully. The DEC Recommended Practices provide a widely used framework for creating learning opportunities within routines and supporting active participation.

Families who want to see what these practices can look like in action can also read the DEC Recommended Practices examples document.

7. What kinds of skills are commonly supported well in group/center settings?

Group settings work well for skills that need other people to practice, like asking for help, taking turns in a conversation, learning to play with others, following along with a group routine, and handling transitions from one activity to the next.

These commonly include functional communication (requesting, help-seeking, commenting), pragmatic language (turn-taking, responding, repairing misunderstandings), play development, social engagement with peers, and participation skills like following routines and transitions.

8. How do group settings create “natural” communication opportunities?

Throughout a group day, there are built-in moments where a child needs to communicate for a real reason: a favorite toy is being used by someone else, it’s time for snack, and they need to ask for more, or the group is moving to a new activity. These everyday moments give children a genuine purpose for talking, pointing, or gesturing, which is exactly the kind of communication EI tries to build.

Group routines create frequent moments where communication has a clear purpose: a turn ends, a desired toy is in use, a snack item is offered, or the group moves to a new activity. This supports communication that is functional and context-based, which is a frequent EI goal area. A research-supported pathway connected to these kinds of moments is peer-mediated intervention, discussed in the peer-mediated intervention systematic review.

9. Why do routines matter so much in early intervention?

Routines like arriving at school, circle time, snack, cleanup, and going home repeat every day. That repetition is powerful because it lets kids practice the same skills over and over in a way that feels familiar and predictable. When a child knows what’s coming next, they can focus more on learning within that moment.

Routines are repeating patterns of activity that make learning opportunities predictable and frequent. Best-practice guidance in early childhood intervention often emphasizes embedding instruction in routines and supporting engagement across the day. Families can read the DEC Recommended Practices overview.

10. How does EI define “natural environments,” and can community settings count?

Under the law, “natural environments” means the everyday places, routines, and activities where young children typically live, learn, and play. That includes the home, child care, parks, libraries, and even daily family activities like meals and bedtime. Community settings can absolutely count, depending on where your child and family normally spend time.

IDEA Part C includes a “natural environments” principle, which broadly refers to settings where infants and toddlers typically live, learn, and play. This can include community settings, depending on the child’s life and routines. Families can read a clear explanation in ASHA’s Part C issue brief and in the NYS Department of Health’s parent guide on natural environments.

11. What does “evidence-based” look like in a group/center EI environment?

It means that what’s happening in the room isn’t random. Adults are using approaches that research has shown to work. In practice, this looks like therapists and teachers actively helping children participate, building learning into everyday activities like play and snack, and creating structured chances for kids to interact with each other.

In early childhood intervention, evidence-based practice is reflected in consistent, intentional support across everyday activities. Common elements include active support for engagement, learning opportunities embedded in routines, and structured opportunities for social interaction. The DEC Recommended Practices summarize these principles.

12. How does this relate to transitions as children approach preschool age?

As your child gets close to turning three, the EI team will start planning for what comes next, usually preschool or a new type of service. This transition can feel like a big change, and planning ahead helps make sure your child keeps getting the support they need in their new setting.

Transition planning is a common EI topic as families prepare for preschool settings and new service structures. A resource hub on EI transitions is available through the ECTA Center transition resources page.

13. What are helpful questions families can ask when learning about group/center options?

Good questions to ask include: How do you help children interact with each other? How are daily routines used to teach new skills? How do adults step in to make sure each child is actually participating and not just sitting nearby? These questions help you understand whether a program is actively supporting your child’s growth or just providing a space.

Specifically, families can ask how peer interaction is supported, how routines are used to create learning opportunities, and how adults help children participate meaningfully. For reading on the evidence base behind structured peer interaction support, the peer-mediated intervention systematic review is a useful starting point. For a broader framework emphasizing participation and learning within everyday activities, the DEC Recommended Practices overview provides a clear reference.

14. How does group or center-based EI relate to autism (autism spectrum disorder or ASD)?

Many goals for young children with autism focus on social skills, things like starting an interaction, responding when someone talks to them, sharing attention, and playing with others. Group settings are a natural fit for working on these goals because other children are right there to practice with.

Peer-mediated intervention (PMI) is one research-supported approach that intentionally uses peer interaction to support social-communication outcomes for autistic toddlers and young children with ASD. A systematic review of PMI studies is available in the peer-mediated intervention systematic review.

15. Can group/center settings support social communication goals that are common in autism EI plans?

Yes. Common goals in autism-focused EI plans include things like starting conversations, responding to other kids, and using words or gestures during play and daily routines. Group settings give children repeated, real chances to work on exactly these skills with peers.

Peer-mediated intervention research provides evidence that structured peer-supported approaches can improve social interaction and communication outcomes across many studies, as summarized in the peer-mediated intervention systematic review. Families interested in broader early childhood guidance that supports participation, engagement, and learning within routines can review the DEC Recommended Practices.

16. Can center/group-based EI be used in concert with home-based?

Yes. Many families use both. Your child might get some services at home and others at a center, depending on what works best for your family and your child’s goals. The law supports services happening wherever your child normally spends their time, so a mix of settings is completely normal and often a good fit.

Under IDEA Part C, services are guided by a “natural environments” principle, and EI planning often focuses on supporting development within the settings where children typically live, learn, and play. Families can read ASHA’s explanation of natural environments for more on how services can be delivered across appropriate everyday settings.

If you would like to read more about how a coordinated approach can work across settings, you can view our separate article here.

Sources (primary references used in this FAQ)

• The peer effects language study is listed in PubMed.
• The systematic review on peer-mediated interventions is available in full text via PubMed Central.
• The DEC Recommended Practices provide a widely used evidence-informed framework for early childhood intervention.
• The DEC Recommended Practices examples document illustrates how recommended practices can look in real settings.
• The ASHA issue brief on natural environments explains Part C’s natural environment principle and how services can be delivered in appropriate everyday settings.
• The ECTA Center’s Part C law and regulations overview provides a practical summary of the EI legal framework.
• The ECTA Center transition resources page provides information about transitions as children approach age three.
• The NYS Department of Health’s parent guide on natural environments explains how New York State defines natural environments under the Early Intervention Program.