Interdisciplinary Training and Practice to Support Individuals with Disabilities: An Ocean State Perspective

Kristin Kaulas, Meghan Ray Silva, Ntaobasi Udeh, Kathryn Tarpey, Jodi Kulinitch, Allison Seperack, Indra Liauw, Shannon Dowd-Eagle, & Anthony Antosh The Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities
Introduction The Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities founded in 1993 at Rhode Island College is a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service (UCEDD). As a UCEDD, the Sherlock Center focuses on expanding and improving the areas of early intervention, education, transition, employment, and leadership development for individuals with disabilities. UCEDDs are engrained in the Developmental Disabilities Services and Facilities Construction Amendments of 1970, P.L. 517, which amended the Mental Retardation Facilities and Community Health Centers Construction Act of 1963. At the time there was a shortage of trained personnel to provide services to individuals with developmental disabilities. P.L. 517 approved grants to facilitate interdisciplinary training in universitys to assist in preparing personnel of different disciplines to help aid in the shortage. Interdisciplinary training incorporates UCEDDs mission and vision, local, regional, and national priorities, along with the trainees individual needs and distinct discipline requirements. Additionally, pre-service interdisciplinary training in graduate degree programs prepares individuals from diverse backgrounds to interact with one another and appreciate each disciplines unique perspective and contributions. The advantages of interdisciplinary training as identified by the Pew Health Professions Commission include: Trainees learn multiple healthcare paradigms, gain an appreciation and understanding of other disciplines, and also model strategies for future practice (Degraw, Fagan, Parot, & Miller, 1996). Further it grants trainees opportunities to understand the needs, issues, and concerns of people with disabilities. Students are also able to use the skills of their professional disciplines to address the needs of individuals with disabilities and contribute their unique roles to improve the lives of individuals living with disabilities (Calloway, & Shaffer 1996). Purpose of Study The purposes of the study were to (a) Examine the degree to which interdisciplinary practices are used in Rhode Island public school districts, and (b) Assess the prevalence of graduate level interdisciplinary training opportunities among institutions of higher education in the state of Rhode Island Research Questions 1. To what degree do special education directors report using interdisciplinary practices in Rhode Island public school districts? 2. What is the prevalence rate of graduate level pre-service interdisciplinary training experiences across institutions of higher education in Rhode Island? Methods Survey The Paul V. Sherlock Center electronically distributed a survey to the Special Education Directors of public schools districts in the state of Rhode Island to assess their interest and need for professional development. The survey consisted of 6 sections containing a total of 45 items. Thirty-six percent (n=13) of Special Education Directors responded to the survey. Section 6 of the survey was used to assess the use of interdisciplinary practices in Rhode Island public schools. This section contained 4 items rated on a four-point Likert Scale (1 = strongly disagree; 4 = strongly agree). Course Catalogs A review of 2011-2012 course catalogs across 8 institutions of higher education in the state of Rhode Island was conducted to assess the prevalence of pre-service interdisciplinary training experiences aimed at improving the quality of services for individuals with disabilities. These 8 institutions included the Rhode Island College, University of Rhode Island, Brown University, Bryant University, Johnson and Wales University, Providence College, Roger Williams University, and Salve Regina University. The search focused on courses that included the key term interdisciplinary in the course title or course description and were specific to improving the health of individuals with or at-risk for disabilities. Results Survey All 13 Special Education Directors responded to each of the 4 questions related to interdisciplinary collaboration in their school district. Overall, the Special Education Directors responses indicated that while there are some established interdisciplinary practices in their districts, there is also a need for improved interdisciplinary knowledge, training, and collaboration.

Item 3 indicates that a majority of educational plans are implemented by Interdisciplinary teams

Item 4 indicates that while 10 Special Education Directors agree that their respective districts staff participate in interdisciplinary trainings, 3 Special Education Directors do not believe that their staff engages in common trainings with an interdisciplinary team. Course Catalogs After reviewing 8 course catalogs for courses that included the key term interdisciplinary in the course title or course description and were specific to improving the health of individuals with or at-risk for disabilities, the review revealed a total of 20 courses that met the criteria, with only 9 of those targeting graduate level training. The percent agreement across 3 raters was 86.6%. Discussion / Future Directions Results suggest interdisciplinary practices are commonly used in RI public schools. Despite the frequent use of interdisciplinary teams in educational settings, there remains limited graduate level pre-service training opportunities specific to improving the health of individuals with disabilities. It is likely interdisciplinary training occurs within the context of courses that do not specify it in the class title and/or description. However, given the benefits of interdisciplinary training as well as the frequent use of multidisciplinary practices in the state of RI, institutions of higher education may want to expand opportunities for such experiences at a pre-service level. Item 2 indicates that 4 of the 13 Special Education Directors believe that their school district staff does not sufficiently demonstrate interdisciplinary knowledge. Due to the limited number of respondents to the survey, it is difficult to ascertain if results can be generalized to other RI public school districts. Future research efforts aimed at increased the survey response rate would be beneficial.

Item 1 indicates that while 11 Special Education Directors agree that their respective school districts team meetings are interdisciplinary in nature, 2 Directors do not believe that their school districts meetings incorporate interdisciplinary collaboration.