A Study on Collaboration with Outside Specialists at Special Support Schools for the Physically Disabled:Based on a nationwide questionnaire survey of special support schools for the physically disabled

In this study, we conducted a nationwide questionnaire survey on the application of outside specialists. The respondents were special support schools for the physically disabled. Our study results revealed that at many schools, the application of outside specialists leads to improvements in areas such as teachers’ expertise and instruction methods. Therefore, we believe that this application is necessary. On the other hand, about a half of the schools reported that they also identified a number of issues in the application of outside specialists, in particular, the need to clarify their role in such collaboration. We propose the following two points as important factors to make effective use of outside specialists. First, we must identify the needs of each individual teacher and increase the level of their motivation to consult with outside specialists. Second, Connecting teachers and outside specialists should be fostered, and the role of coordinators facilitating and maintaining this collaboration should be promoted