getTHERE: A Speech-Language Pathology and Recreational Therapy Interprofessional Model for Improving Adolescent Social Interactions Through Prosocial Contributions

Purpose: Many adolescents experience difficulties with social interaction, which can contribute to fewer friendships and increased feelings of isolation, anxiety, and depression. While there are existing interventions that address social communication and engagement, these approaches often do not effectively generalize to unstructured environments, and they frequently overlook measuring social validity. An interprofessional collaboration between speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and recreational therapists (RTs) may offer a promising way to address these shortcomings. However, no established models currently demonstrate how SLPs and RTs work together in practice. This clinical focus article introduces a model for SLP–RT collaboration that incorporates prosocial activities within therapeutic contexts and illustrates the model with a descriptive case study. Method: A multistage description is provided outlining the SLP–RT collaborative model. A descriptive case study involving an adolescent is presented, providing preliminary findings after a review of SLP and RT therapy notes and after determining results from the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) administered in a retrospective pretest (RPT) and posttest design. Last, the case's social validity was assessed from semistructured interviews, questionnaires, and therapy notes. Positive changes were observed on ATEC scores when comparing the RPT to the posttest. In addition, therapy notes reflected patterns showing increased comments over time emphasizing the adolescent's strengths and fewer comments describing concerns. Findings also supported the social validity of the model. Conclusions: Although the findings are preliminary, we highlight the potential value of implementing an SLP–RT collaborative model. For clinicians, this model suggests ways to embed social interaction practices into meaningful, prosocial experiences.