What team should be assembled to address the needs of a student experiencing persistent reading difficulties?

The selection of a multidisciplinary team is particularly suitable for addressing the complex needs of a student facing persistent reading difficulties. This type of team typically comprises professionals from various disciplines, such as special education teachers, general education teachers, speech-language pathologists, psychologists, and possibly other specialists. This diverse representation allows for a comprehensive assessment of the student's reading challenges, ensuring that the evaluation considers academic, psychological, social, and emotional factors.

Multidisciplinary teams collaborate to create individualized interventions and support strategies that are tailored to the unique needs of the student. Such an approach is critical because reading difficulties can stem from a mixture of factors, including but not limited to cognitive processes, language development, and even motivation or engagement levels. The collaborative efforts also promote continuous monitoring of the student's progress, which is essential for adapting interventions and ensuring effectiveness over time.

In contrast, while IEP teams focus specifically on students with identified disabilities and tailored educational plans, a schoolwide assistance team generally addresses various concerns across multiple students and contexts rather than delving deep into an individual case. Professional learning teams typically aim at improving teacher practice and may not directly address individual student needs in the same way that a multidisciplinary team does. Thus, assembling a multidisciplinary team is crucial for providing a holistic and individualized approach