A model for collaborative service delivery for students with language-learning disorders in the public schools....

Collaborative service delivery can augment traditional methods for serving students with language-learning disorders in the public schools. In collaborative service delivery, the speech-language pathologist is an integral member of a transdisciplinary team consisting of educators, parents, and the student. Team members collaborate to formulate a single educational program for each student. The team devises all treatment goals, assessment methods, intervention procedures, and documentation systems to enhance the student's academic and social functioning in the school environment. All team members are aware of the student's entire curriculum, and team members typically share responsibility for specific educational goals. Most special services, as well as regular instruction, take place within the classroom. Administrative support is crucial to the implementation of collaborative service delivery. Effective collaboration requires that team members be allotted time to meet outside of their classroom duties. In addition, cooperation among team members is essential. Potential team members must be willing to pool their expertise and abandon notions of professional "turf." The implementation of collaborative service delivery may require some adjustment in the way speech-language pathologists and other educators perceive their roles in public school settings. However, this service delivery model holds great promise for providing services to maximize the functional potential of students with language-learning disorders.