School-aged children with SLI: The ICF as a framework for collaborative service delivery

Reports of associated disabilities among children with specific language impairment (SLI) and children with other developmental disabilities are widespread. Clinicians require a broader definition of SLI that recognizes associated disabilities because it is their goal to impact children's everyday functioning. In this paper, we explore SLI from a broader perspective in which consideration is given to features known to be common across different developmental disabilities. The World Health Organization's (2001) International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is utilized as an organizational and conceptual framework for considering how knowledge of commonalities across developmental disabilities may be used to promote collaborative service delivery in an educational setting. This framework can potentially provide a coherent and comprehensive approach to treating SLI and its associated disabilities without overburdening clinical services. LEARNING OUTCOMES: As a result of this activity, the reader will be able to: (1) describe the potential role of the ICF in facilitating collaborative service delivery in the school setting; (2) identify and describe the commonalities among SLI and its associated disabilities; and (3) describe how knowledge of commonalities may inform approaches to service delivery.