An environmental assessment should be conducted on the community program to identify potential adaptations and procedures that may be needed to ensure optimal participation within that setting. Skills and behaviors which are important to the community program can also be identified. The following steps should be considered when planning to implement an environmental assessment:

1. Develop a written guide for parents, community program teachers, and ECSE professionals to write comments on or a checklist to use during an observation of the community program.

2. Have parents observe in the community program in order to offer their perspective on adaptations that they feel are needed. Read "Placement Option Visiting Notes" for families' observation

3. Have the community program teacher complete a checklist and comment on areas where she or he feels adaptations may need to be made.

4. Have professional team members assess the instructional, social and physical environment of the program with the child in mind.

5. Meet as a team to compare observations and generate ideas about how the child's objectives can be embedded in the current classroom activities and how the setting materials can be used optimally.

Following are two examples of inventories which have been developed to guide observation of the target classroom, its routines and materials:

• Classroom Environmental Assessment
• Classroom Checklist for Teachers