The Merriam-Webster dictionary online (2017, May 15.

) lists collaboration as an

intransitive verb meaning to work jointly with others or together especially in an

intellectual endeavor and to cooperate with an agency or instrumentality with which

one is not immediately connected. (Retrieved from https://www.merriam-

webster.com/dictionary/collaborate, 2017) In Interactions: Collaboration Skills for School

Professionals by Marilyn Friend and Lynne Cook (2017), the authors describe collaboration as a

style which enables you to distinguish the nature of the interpersonal relationship occurring

during shared interactions- that is, collaboration- from the activities themselves, such as teaming,

problem solving, or co-teaching. (p. 5, 2017).

Collaboration is an integral part of an effective special education program. The very

process of designing an IEP demands that a group of stakeholders convene as a team in order to

create an educational plan that will be meet the needs of a specific learner. These key players are

the student and their parent(s)/legal guardians, the general education teacher(s), the special

educator, psychologist and the administrator. Other essential team players may include the

school social worker, counselor, family advocate, therapists (speech, physical, or occupational),

medical professionals, and paraprofessionals.

In order for collaboration to be truly successful, all of the stakeholders must believe they

are on equal ground. If someone feels that their expert opinion is dismissed or unacknowledged,

collaboration may break down. There are occasions when a parent may have experienced an

institutional bias, and the special educator may have to facilitate and navigate the evaluation or

IEP process to help the students educational decision maker feel like they are on a level playing

field with the school professionals in the room. I see the staff I work with as experts in their field

and the parent as the experts on their child. We are all advocating for the least restrictive
environment for the student. Our goal is also to identify . One with all of the supports and

accommodations that the student will need to be successful in any classroom in the school.

One challenge to collaboration includes working with diverse families and school staff.

Todays family units arent always the traditional two-parent, heterosexual, married pairs of the

1950s. The educational decision maker for a student might be an extended family member or a

foster parent. School staff need to be mindful of situations that might cause discomfort and set

aside their assumptions they may have about nontraditional families. The staff members also

need to be aware of other cultural identities, and how they may influence communication

between staff and families.

Another collaboration challenge is finding the time and the willingness of staff to

participate. With teachers taking on more responsibilities as the school budgets get tinier, finding

a time during the school day when everyone on the team is available can be quite challenging.

There are also some staff members who still dont view themselves as an important part of the

team and would rather delegate their duties or remain separate in providing services. For

example, the latter teacher might not alert the resource teacher of schedule changes or areas of

skill focus. This may limits the resource teacher from providing a possibly more cohesive plan of

instruction. A little time spent collaborating might allow the resource teacher to reinforce or pre-

teach skills the student would need to be more successful in their core general education classes.

Helping build a students background of understanding will give the student a place to build

from with the new lesson and may even reap the benefit of less behavior issues in the end.

In addition to the collaboration necessary to design an Individualized Educational Plan,

there needs to be frequent collaboration among school staff to ensure the students needs are

consistently being addressed. For example, I have several students with Emotional Disorders as
an exceptionality. I consult frequently with a behavior specialist to review student data, problem

solve issues, and discuss ways that I might better facilitate the emotional regulation of those

students. Not being afraid to ask questions of the experts on your team and knowing that they

will respond in a respectful manner also helps maintain a good team morale.

Paraeducators are also an important part of the team. Often overlooked, they provide

much of the day to day support that is agreed upon at the annual IEP meeting. The backgrounds

of paraeducators range from retired teachers to high school graduates. In order for paraeducators

to be effective in their jobs, they need to be provided with professional development

opportunities and training. The general educators also need to collaborate with paraeducators so

that paraeducators feel comfortable asking them questions rather than trying to make curricular

modifications, sometimes on-the-spot with little or no support from teachers. (Giangreco, M.,

Yuan, S., Cameron, P., & Fialka, J. (2005). Be careful what you wish forFive reasons to be

concerned about the assignment of individual paraprofessionals, Teaching Exceptional Children, Formatted: Font: Italic

37(5). p.32) One of my goals for the next academic year is to provide more frequent feedback to

my paraeducators as well as more team training at the beginning of the year. To encourage a

better relationship with the general education staff, I plan on including them in as many

collaboration meetings as possible.

People may disagree on the meaning of the term collaboration. I see it as both a style and

a matter of working together as a team. Overall, the goal is to provide the best educational

experience for a student. When all of the members of the team are mindful of cultural differences

and keep the best interests of the student in mind, the outcome should be positive.