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The 3:1 Service
Delivery Model The 3:1 Service
Delivery Model, a flexible scheduling option, was originally conceptualized and
implemented in the Portland Public Schools in The 3:1 Model was
originally designed to ensure the successful implementation and sustainability
of direct and indirect speech language services that are integrated across
educational settings (i.e., integrated classroom-based services). Given all
that we know about the benefits of integrated classroom-based services, it is
not surprising to know that this flexible scheduling model is used in one form
or another throughout the The 3:1 Service Delivery Model utilizes three consecutive weeks of direct services (e.g., pullout and classroom-based) followed by one week of indirect services (See Sample Schedules) that are on behalf of the child (e.g., consultation, observations with recommendations, adaptation of the curriculum, etc.) (Annett, 2004). Speech language services on the IEPs are written to reflect minutes per month as opposed to minutes per week. Since some calendar months have scheduled breaks (i.e., Winter, Spring, and Summer Breaks), SLPs use the word month to mean a four week period of time as opposed to a calendar month (i.e., December, January, February, etc.). This distinction is explained at the IEP meeting. The SLPs usually start by counting off four week increments at the beginning of the school year in order to see where the direct and indirect weeks fall. They skip over breaks and resume counting off by fours. For example, the months of September, October, and November typically start off with three weeks of direct and end with one week of indirect. In December, however, the students will receive three weeks of direct service during the first three weeks before break. Their indirect week will then fall immediately after winter break in January when they return to school. Some SLPs arrange it so their indirect weeks fall on weeks with holidays (e.g., Thanksgiving, MLK Day, Memorial Day, etc.) so that direct therapy does not have to be cancelled. Other districts ask their SLPs to schedule their direct and indirect weeks on the same weeks across the district. By doing this, the SLP Department can hold staff meetings and collaborate more readily. Indirect services, an important part of the 3:1 Service Delivery Model, are those services that are done On Behalf of the Child in order to ensure meaningful progress toward the students IEP goals and objectives The combination of direct and indirect services focuses the IEP teams efforts on the students communication goals and ensures comprehensive and effective speech language services. The creators of the 3:1 Service Delivery Model believed it provided more flexible opportunities for comprehensive direct and indirect services for students with speech language impairments. There are several more recognized goals that are inherit in the 3:1 Service Delivery Model (see Goals of 3:1 Service Delivery Model). As IEP meetings occur, the SLP could advocate to the educational teams for the inclusion of both direct and indirect services, where appropriate. This seems to be the most efficient and legally defensible way to make the transition from pullout only programs to integrated classroom-based services. There would be no need to mention anything about the 3:1 Service Delivery Model on the IEP in the services section. In order to stay accountable and document progress toward the speech or language goals and objectives, the SLP must make sure he or she is collecting data. Since the IEP spells out exactly how often data will be collected toward the goals/objectives, SLPs must make sure they are following the IEP. SLPs who use a flexible scheduling model should document the students progress toward the goal/objective, time spent delivering direct or indirect services, and the date these services were given on some sort of data sheet (see data sheet examples). Additional comments could be included as well. To read more about the original |
