ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the roles of various professionals potentially working with special students, looking especially at examples relevant to provision for individuals with specific learning disorders. These are the speech pathologist, physical therapist/physiotherapist, school/educational psychologist, occupational therapist, and school social worker. The chapter discusses multi-professional collaboration including multi-agency working, different service delivery models, and common links across services.
Challenges are examined, especially of co-ordinating numerous professionals, and dealing with friction ranging from salary differences to power struggles. Aids to good multi-professional working are considered. These are developing overlapping perspectives, sharing a joint purpose while communicating clearly, having agreed responsibilities, developing a one stop venue for parents and students, forming strong parent–professional relationships, participating in shared training and assessments, working together in the school classroom, and co-ordinating support.
