SPED 618: Lifelong Integration Definitions and Dimensions of the Interactive Team

What is an interactive team? All stakeholders Shared knowledge and expertise and willing to team other team members the skills as appropriate View everyone as equal partners in their efforts to provide students with support and effective programming Team pathways may change based on the needs of the students Persons involved will include educational, medical, administrative, vocational, and allied health specialists, social services personnel, and parents. Each member of the interactive team will become the "expert" (i.e., consultant), or facilitator, depending on the problem or issue under investigation. –Information adapted from Thomas, Correa & Morsink (1995)

React to these statements in Chapter 2 “The final dimension necessary for an interactive team to be a successful and effective operating unit is shared commitment to common goals” (p.78). “A team needs an identified purpose, objectives, and performance goals to guide its actions” (p.63). “In a defensive climate, participants may attempt to evaluate another’s idea in a judgmental manner” (p.69).

What makes all teams work? Shared vocabulary Shared visions Respect for each other’s work and ideas What else and why?

Four Principles of Interactive Teams (Coben, Thomas, Sattler, Morsink, 1997) 1)Participation and Leadership –All team members are viewed as equals and their participation is encouraged and supported. Leadership role is assigned in turn to the individual having the greatest expertise. –Result: Team functions as a cohesive unit; Promotes equal distribution of leadership responsibilities

Four Principles of Interactive Teams (Coben, Thomas, Sattler, Morsink, 1997) 2)Development of goals –Goals must be developed in a cooperative manner with attention focused on meeting the needs of the student. Secondary focus should be placed on meeting the needs of all team members. –Result: Team functions as a cohesive unit

Four Principles of Interactive Teams (Coben, Thomas, Sattler, Morsink, 1997) 3)Communication –Open communication among team members should be fostered and encouraged, with each member feeling comfortable expressing opinions and thoughts on any and all issues. –Results: Effective team functioning

Four Principles of Interactive Teams (Coben, Thomas, Sattler, Morsink, 1997) 4)Decision making –Important decisions should be the joint responsibility of all team members. This should be accomplished through consensus. –Result: Effective team functioning

Problem Solving steps with Interactive Teams (Correa et al, 2005) Share problem solving goals Identify and define the problem Brainstorm ideas while holding mutual respect for all thoughts Assess the outcomes of all ideas Implementation with all stakeholders Evaluate and adjust

Consultation “A voluntary process in which one professional assists another to address a problem concerning a third party, often a student” (Friend & Cook, 2003, 151) A form of team problem solving (Kampwirth, 2003)

Characteristics of consultation 1.Indirect service delivery 2.Consultant-consultee relationship 3.Coordinate status 4.Involvement of the consultee 5.Consultee’s right to reject 6.Voluntary nature 7.Confidentiality from Correa et al, 2005

Collaboration Participants must have mutual goals Must voluntarily participate in the activity Must each have equally valued personal or professional resources to contribute Must share resources, decision-making authority, and accountability for the outcomes of their activities (Friend & Cook, 1996) Requires some give and take Compromise???

Compare and contrast Collaboration and Consultation How alike?How different?

Benefits of Collaborative Consultation models Student-centered approach (Idol et al., 1994) Useful in inclusive environments so that general education teachers can actively participate in behavior planning (Vasquez- Chairez and MacMillan,1989) More?

Multidisciplinary teaming Product comes from stakeholders combining ideas, methods, approaches, and expertise from a variety of disciplines (Presidential Task Force on Multidisciplinary Education and Team Teaching) Requires time commitment and brainstorming problem solving approach

Transdisciplinary teaming Transdisciplinary education for children with special needs means that related services and team members work with the student in the setting where the concern was first brought to attention Requires problem solving approach while working together with the child for the benefit of the child Roles may be interchangeable within this approach to carry through services

Teacher Assistance Teams Prereferral intervention teams –Problem solving approach to address referrals through a variety of non-special education means including pedagogical modifications and instructional accommodations –Average team size is nine people (Truscott, et al., 2005) Effectiveness is well documented –Reduced referrals –Reduced unnecessary testing –More appropriate referrals –Improved student performance –Improved teacher attitudes when addressing “difficult” students (adapted from Burns & Symington, 2002) Only 72% of states require some form of teacher assistance team (Buck, et al., 2003)

Final Questions When should one choose a transdisciplinary team… a multidisciplinary team? When do we collaborate? When should we consult? Characteristics needed for both? Bryant, Hartman, and Kim (2003) support the stages of learning: acquisition, proficiency, maintenance, generalization, and adaptation / problem solving. How are these stages related to collaboration and consultation models?