Developing a Consulting Program in Special Education: Implementation and Interventions

Co-Teaching: Guidelines for Creating Effective Practices

“…Through our experiences with co-teaching, we have come to highly respect appropriate advance planning, particularly as it helps to reduce the frustration and stress resulting from badly planned change. Other sources that provide more detailed discussions of program planning include Adams and Cessna (1991), Friend and Cook (1990), and Reisberg and Wolf (1986). Here we provide an overview of the most basic steps in program planning.…”

Practical Questions About Collaboration Between General and Special Educators

“…The lack of planning and evaluation time is well documented in the literature as a barrier to successful collaboration (Bauwens et al, 1989;Nowacek, 1992;Reisberg & Wolf, 1986;Trent, 1992). For example, in a follow-up study of master's level resource/consulting teacher program graduates, Idol-Maestas andRitter (1985, as cited in Idol & reported that time to consult was the single most important factor in initiating and continuing the consultation role.…”

“…As a potential solution to the time crunch, the need for administrative support for collaborative arrangements between general and special educators is proclaimed repeatedly in the literature Nowacek, 1992;Reisberg & Wolf, 1986). Administrative leadership sets the tone for innovative practices and their acceptance by teachers who follow the administrative lead.…”

Regular/Special Education Consultation

“…The emerging role of the special educator as a collaborative consultant with regular educators, administrators, and parents dealing with the mainstreamed handicapped student has become increasingly defined in recent years (Idol, Paolucci-Whitcomb, & Nevin, 1986;Idol-Maestas, 1983;Reisberg & Wolf, 1986). Events at the national level such as the proto share r ponsibitity between regular and speci education for the education of mild to moderately handicapped students (Heller & Schilit, 1987;Will, 1986) have prompted concern that special educators must develop communication and interactional skills if they are to serve as consultants.…”