An Assessment of Communication Between Speech-Language Pathologists and Intervention Specialists in Schools

The American Speech-Language Hearing Association states that Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) should collaborate with other professionals, including Intervention Specialists (ISs). In recent decades, there has been a shift from pull-out therapy, where students are removed from the classroom for services, to push-in therapy, which takes place within the classroom. This shift has resulted in greater overlap in SLP-IS caseloads. However, there is little known about the collaborative practices of these professionals. This study aimed to close the gap by using surveys to address two main research questions. 1) What is the focus, modality, and frequency of collaboration between SLPs and ISs? 2) What do these professionals perceive as benefits and barriers to collaboration? Other survey questions addressed demographic data and changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were school-based SLPs and ISs recruited via email. Descriptive statistics were reported for closed-ended questions, with comparisons between SLP-IS responses highlighted. Trends from these results and themes from open-ended questions were identified through qualitative analysis. Results indicated SLPs contribute more to curricula development with ISs than with General Education Teachers. The email mode was not used as frequently as expected, even with limited planning time. The number of SLPs who reported having informal interactions daily decreased this year compared to last year, with a shift toward more SLPs reporting these types of interactions weekly. This study provided insights into collaborative practices and allowed SLPs and ISs to reflect on existing barriers. Future studies may find additional ways to combat limitations and serve students better