How can specialists provide natural contexts and frequent practice?

The traditional service delivery choice for specialists has been direct or consult. For students with severe disabilities a wider range of choices is necessary.

Service Delivery Models
	Advantages	Disadvantages
Direct Pull-out	Always one-to-one. Special equipment.	Infrequent practice. Context not natural.
Integrated Direct	One-to-one or small group. Natural context.	Infrequent practices.
Traditional Consult	Information shared.	Contact very limited.

Each of these models has a place in transdisciplinary teaming. For instance, direct pull-out may be appropriate for post trauma students or for students learning a new communication device. Usually, this service is provided for as short a time as possible and a very structured transition period follows pull-out in order to transfer skills to natural contexts. That transition period might be integrated direct service. Integrated direct is often used by speech/language pathologists teaching communication skills in natural contexts and by O.T's and P.T's teaching motor skills in natural contexts. Consult is usually provided in conjunction with direct service. Sometimes consult is the only service provided. The information and suggestions shared in this model are essential.

Traditional consult by itself puts a very heavy burden on classroom teachers to come up with activities and modifications for students with extremely intense needs. Transdisciplinary teams use a more dynamic kind of specific consultation.

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Last Revision: October 3, 2002