Methods of Collaboration
Many of the modifications, accommodations, support systems and disability management plans hinge on the involvement of teams and collaboration between general and special education teachers, para-educators, therapists, specialists, parents, and students. The success of many of the programs is based on the evaluation and analysis of a student’s unique needs and the collaboration between these individuals and the systematic programs. Each member has a special interests and qualification to add to the overall effectiveness of such collaboration. Of the different forms of collaboration, coordination, consultation, and teaming are the more basic and common in school. Teams can be compiled and arranged on a basis of discipline: multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary. Forms of teaching like co-, parallel, alternative, and team teaching are also forms of collaboration that benefit the needs of students. Finally, collaboration can extend beyond the school’s walls to communicate and collaborate with parents or guardians.
Team Members
When coordinating a team, there are different members who provide differing abilities and resources to contribute to the team. General education teachers are the instructors for a student’s general education classroom. The teacher provides instruction and support in their specific content area. The assignment, projects, and assessment are modified by this teacher to suit the specific needs of the individual student. The special education teacher is the primary specialist on special education instruction and assists the general education teacher with one-on-one instruction meant to develop the skills and needs of the student laid out in their IEP. A para-educator can be an assistant to the teacher or student, working with the student to support the student’s disability. It is important for a paraeducator to not infringe upon a student’s independence. Physical therapists can help students with their physical disabilities. P/Ts “development and maintenance of motor skills, movement, and posture” and develop instruction intended to help student limit their disability’s impact on their abilities. (Heward, 2009) An occupational therapist helps develops skills that will be useful to student’s future job, home, and social life. Helping students develop skill for independence is the ultimate goal of instructors. Finally, a speech and language therapist helps students who struggle with the use of language, speech, or communication. Together, these specialists work to assist students, plan and modify their instruction, accomplish IEP goals, and work to collaborate as a team for the benefit of the student’s individual needs.
Collaboration
Collaboration is an essential part of instructing students with special needs. Teachers, specialists, and professionals evaluate, plan around, and make changes based on their systematic analysis of a student’s needs. Collaboration can be broken down into coordination, consultation, and teaming. Teaming can be divided into multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary teams. Coordination is the ongoing communication between the different realms of a student’s special education. The services provided are communicated regularly and attempt to promote a seamless connection between the different needs of the student. Consultation is when a professional or expert acts as a liaison for another. In the case of special education, a special education teacher may act as a consultant to a general education teacher. Teaming is an essential part of special education; each step of the special education process requires teaming to benefit the student. Examples of such teams are assistance teams, IEP teams, the RTI team, and the student instruction team. Teaming is a difficult task to manage, but it has the most potential for student success. With a group of individuals working for the benefit of the student, the natural checks and balances assure the student receives the best education possible. A multidisciplinary team is comprised of individuals from different disciplines. Individual assessments, interventions and services are completed; it is difficult to assure equal support across the board however. An interdisciplinary team is made up of individuals from the same discipline, but still completing individual services after sharing data. A transdisciplinary team completes joint assessments and plans for generalized services to best suit the needs of the student across all disciplines.
Case Studies
Throughout Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education there are accounts from real teachers about the collaboration they have been a part of. At Northwest Elementary School in Florida, Steven Everling is a speech and language specialist who taught all subjects to students with disabilities that severely impeded their language and communication. While he was a specialist, he regularly worked with other professionals to accomplish the students’ IEP goals. Jeanne Dowse of the Apache County school district in Arizona works as a visual impairment specialist. The state of Arizona requires a multidisciplinary team to plan services for students. Dowse regularly works with other specialist and professionals to help her students with generalized and individual goals. (Heward, 2009)
Teaching Collaboration
General education teachers can participate in collaboration with other general education or special education teachers by using different forms of instruction. Some of the forms of instruction include station, parallel, alternative, and team teaching. Station teaching would involve multiple instructors teaching content with a group of students while different content is taught by the other instructor. The children switch instructors and learn the new content from the other instructor. Parallel teaching is like station teaching except the teachers teach the whole lesson rather than switching students in the middle of an activity. Alternative teaching pulls out students to have a different lesson while the majority of students remain in the general education classroom; this can be used for all exceptional children above or below the benchmark average. Team teaching involves one lesson with two instructors. This method can utilize paraeducators or special educators. Each strategy can help differentiate instruction and include students in learning by collaborating with another instructional specialist.
Collaboration with Families
Throughout all the collaborations with specialists and educators it is important to not forget about the collaboration with parents, guardians, and families. Parents are best attuned to the needs of the student and can be an invaluable resource for teachers. Parents should be kept up-to-date about the progress of a student academically and socially while sharing any troubles the student may be having in school. Keeping communication though short e-mails can keep correspondences quick and simple, but relying solely on written communication should be avoided. Having sit-down meetings can maximize the effectiveness of communication, eliminating confusion, wait time, or misinterpretation. It is essential that parents are informed of goals and progress in the class. Parents can help fulfill these goals from home by assisting in homework or therapy. Maintaining communication and collaboration with parents is one of the most important elements of collaboration in special education.
See section on “Communication Methods”
Team Members
When coordinating a team, there are different members who provide differing abilities and resources to contribute to the team. General education teachers are the instructors for a student’s general education classroom. The teacher provides instruction and support in their specific content area. The assignment, projects, and assessment are modified by this teacher to suit the specific needs of the individual student. The special education teacher is the primary specialist on special education instruction and assists the general education teacher with one-on-one instruction meant to develop the skills and needs of the student laid out in their IEP. A para-educator can be an assistant to the teacher or student, working with the student to support the student’s disability. It is important for a paraeducator to not infringe upon a student’s independence. Physical therapists can help students with their physical disabilities. P/Ts “development and maintenance of motor skills, movement, and posture” and develop instruction intended to help student limit their disability’s impact on their abilities. (Heward, 2009) An occupational therapist helps develops skills that will be useful to student’s future job, home, and social life. Helping students develop skill for independence is the ultimate goal of instructors. Finally, a speech and language therapist helps students who struggle with the use of language, speech, or communication. Together, these specialists work to assist students, plan and modify their instruction, accomplish IEP goals, and work to collaborate as a team for the benefit of the student’s individual needs.
Collaboration
Collaboration is an essential part of instructing students with special needs. Teachers, specialists, and professionals evaluate, plan around, and make changes based on their systematic analysis of a student’s needs. Collaboration can be broken down into coordination, consultation, and teaming. Teaming can be divided into multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary teams. Coordination is the ongoing communication between the different realms of a student’s special education. The services provided are communicated regularly and attempt to promote a seamless connection between the different needs of the student. Consultation is when a professional or expert acts as a liaison for another. In the case of special education, a special education teacher may act as a consultant to a general education teacher. Teaming is an essential part of special education; each step of the special education process requires teaming to benefit the student. Examples of such teams are assistance teams, IEP teams, the RTI team, and the student instruction team. Teaming is a difficult task to manage, but it has the most potential for student success. With a group of individuals working for the benefit of the student, the natural checks and balances assure the student receives the best education possible. A multidisciplinary team is comprised of individuals from different disciplines. Individual assessments, interventions and services are completed; it is difficult to assure equal support across the board however. An interdisciplinary team is made up of individuals from the same discipline, but still completing individual services after sharing data. A transdisciplinary team completes joint assessments and plans for generalized services to best suit the needs of the student across all disciplines.
Case Studies
Throughout Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education there are accounts from real teachers about the collaboration they have been a part of. At Northwest Elementary School in Florida, Steven Everling is a speech and language specialist who taught all subjects to students with disabilities that severely impeded their language and communication. While he was a specialist, he regularly worked with other professionals to accomplish the students’ IEP goals. Jeanne Dowse of the Apache County school district in Arizona works as a visual impairment specialist. The state of Arizona requires a multidisciplinary team to plan services for students. Dowse regularly works with other specialist and professionals to help her students with generalized and individual goals. (Heward, 2009)
Teaching Collaboration
General education teachers can participate in collaboration with other general education or special education teachers by using different forms of instruction. Some of the forms of instruction include station, parallel, alternative, and team teaching. Station teaching would involve multiple instructors teaching content with a group of students while different content is taught by the other instructor. The children switch instructors and learn the new content from the other instructor. Parallel teaching is like station teaching except the teachers teach the whole lesson rather than switching students in the middle of an activity. Alternative teaching pulls out students to have a different lesson while the majority of students remain in the general education classroom; this can be used for all exceptional children above or below the benchmark average. Team teaching involves one lesson with two instructors. This method can utilize paraeducators or special educators. Each strategy can help differentiate instruction and include students in learning by collaborating with another instructional specialist.
Collaboration with Families
Throughout all the collaborations with specialists and educators it is important to not forget about the collaboration with parents, guardians, and families. Parents are best attuned to the needs of the student and can be an invaluable resource for teachers. Parents should be kept up-to-date about the progress of a student academically and socially while sharing any troubles the student may be having in school. Keeping communication though short e-mails can keep correspondences quick and simple, but relying solely on written communication should be avoided. Having sit-down meetings can maximize the effectiveness of communication, eliminating confusion, wait time, or misinterpretation. It is essential that parents are informed of goals and progress in the class. Parents can help fulfill these goals from home by assisting in homework or therapy. Maintaining communication and collaboration with parents is one of the most important elements of collaboration in special education.
See section on “Communication Methods”