What about MY TOYS? Common Questions about Using a Bagless Approach in Early Intervention

Bagless intervention is a term used by professionals to describe early intervention (EI) services in which the provider refrains from bringing a bag of toys into the home for sessions. Instead of using a toy bag to work on child outcomes, the service provider uses materials in the child's home, as well as family routines, to address the developmental outcomes that each family has for their child. Bagless intervention has become a recommended practice, replacing more traditional methods of therapy in which practitioners bring toys into homes to work on specific outcomes outlined on the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). The purpose of this article is to share information about bagless intervention based on the EI principles, using a question and answer format. Answers include references to research and position papers in the field of early childhood special education. Bagless intervention can be used by all EI professionals including special instructors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech and language pathologists.