Diluting Skills? Sharing Knowledge? What Does It Mean to Be the Speech & Language Therapist Within a Transdisciplinary Team?

Article type: Discussion

Authors: Cederman, Kaye

Affiliations: Senior Speech & Language Therapist, Regional Child Development Centre, Limerick. Research Associate, Trinity College, Dublin

Abstract: In Ireland over the last two years it has become apparent that Health Boards are progressively more interested in providing inclusive child health and disability services which work in a transdisciplinary way. Indeed the newly established Mid-Western Regional Child Development Centre and Early Intervention Services have instigated transdisciplinary, play-based assessments of a child’s cognitive, social-emotional, sensory-motor and communication areas. The rationale underpinning this method argues that when professionals get alongside the family to share roles and responsibilities and purposely cross disciplinary boundaries, all participants learn from each other and work together to progress the goals of each child and family. But what might be some of the implications of this ‘trans’ method of collaborative practice for speech & language therapists? The paper critically appraises transdisciplinary practices which are inclusive, holistic and non-hierarchical.

Keywords: Transdisciplinary Play-Based Assessment, holistic, speech and language assessment, intervention, parent-centred

DOI: 10.3233/ACS-2004-14108

Journal: Journal of Clinical Speech and Language Studies, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 111-116, 2004