Language Resource Room Level of Service

Abstract

This article describes the Philadelphia School District’s approach for providing an intensive level of language treatment by combining aspects of the traditional itinerant pull-out method with instruction received in the classroom. The speech-language pathologist assumes the roles of co-teacher, consultant, and direct treatment provider. This innovative program allows flexibility of programming and adjusts the level of effort to individual and classroom needs. Students with moderate to severe speech-language disorders are selected on a system-wide basis for this level of service. Initial resistance to the presence of speech-language pathologists in classrooms eases as students’ speech-language performance shows marked improvement. Preliminary data analysis indicates that the Language Resource Room model is a successful adjunct to traditional treatment modes.