Reading Specialists: A Valuable Resource for Serving Special Education Students.

Students in special education programs often have serious reading problems, requiring the diagnostic and instructional expertise of reading specialists. Having reading specialists work cooperatively with members of multidisciplinary teams can benefit students, teachers, team members, and parents. In many instances, particular skills of reading specialists can be employed to assess student eligibility for special education and to develop individualized instructional programs. This article illustrates how the inclusion of reading specialists can enhance both diagnosis and instruction and provides guidelines for involving reading specialists.