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2.4: Collaboration with Clinicians

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    178795

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    Teachers and clinicians collaborate when students receive related services. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) ensures that related services are delivered in a student’s least restrictive environment. For example, if speech services can be delivered effectively in the general education classroom, that should be where services are delivered. If a student’s needs require an environment free from distractions and individualized instruction, services should be delivered in a separate setting. Many clinicians and related service personnel serve students in various schools in a district. For example, a speech–language pathologist may be assigned to work with students in multiple elementary schools in a district. Working in multiple schools can sometimes hinder collaboration because time and resources are limited. Depending on the situation, collaboration with clinicians may occur primarily during individualized education program (IEP) meetings or through scheduled consultations throughout the school year (Downing, 2004; Smiley et al., 2022).


    Downing, J.A. (2004). Related services for students with disabilities: Introduction to the special issue. Intervention in School and Clinic, 39(4), 195–208. 

    Smiley, L. R., Richards, S.B., & Taylor, R. (2022). Exceptional students: Preparing teachers for the 21st century (4th ed.). McGraw Hill.


    This page titled 2.4: Collaboration with Clinicians is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Diana Zaleski (Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI)) .

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