Another Form of Our Clinical Work: Exploring the Collaborative Experiences of School-based Speech-language Pathologists
JAASEP 21(2) (2026) 33-46
Abstract
A qualitative focus group design was utilized to investigate the collaborative experiences of SLPs as members of K-12 special education teams in U.S. public schools. The authors sought to explore how one describes their collaborative experiences as similar or different given an individual’s sociocultural identity and background. The participants were 12 school-based SLPs from differing sociocultural backgrounds, including age, geographic location, and racial identity. A semi-structured interview protocol was used to guide participants’ discussion around their perceptions of collaboration, factors impacting their ability to collaborate, and recommendations to improve collaboration. This study's findings suggest that SLPs perceive school-based collaboration as highly variable and complex and that many factors impact collaborative outcomes. Preliminary findings also illustrate the need to consider the role an SLP’s identity plays in their school-based collaborative perceptions and interactions. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Keywords: Collaboration, SLPs, Schools, Special education
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.641
