This document details strategies for modifying rural service delivery models to serve students with low-incidence disabilities in the least restrictive environment. Topics include strategies for transportation, funding, staffing, parent involvement, staff development, vocational programming, community placement, and use of advanced technologies. There are, however, a number of community and district characteristics that a model designer must consider. This publication offers information which the planner may then use to appropriately control variables such as usage of personnel, transportation systems, and community involvement to design an individualized model viable for the student, district, and community. This publication is filled with examples of service delivery strategies found to be effective in rural school districts.
Topics range from transportation and staff development to parent involvement.
The information is comprehensive and designed to help speech pathologists, special educators, and classroom teachers in rural settings deal with the problems of students having communication disorders. This module includes transparencies and an audio cassette. Models for Serving Rural Children with Low-incidence Handicapping Conditions Traditional models designed to provide a continuum of service to students with disabilities are inadequate for rural schools attempting to serve such students. This publication delineates factors that must be considered and variables that must be controlled by the rural service delivery model planner. Samples of successful and statewide and local district models are described.