Interdisciplinary Collaboration
How do you come together as a professional group and actively listen and adopt recommendations that lead towards improved student outcomes and teacher skill? How do you ensure clarity on the perspective of each team member? How do you gain continuous awareness of when a team member may not agree or understand the recommendation or the next step in the process? Interdisciplinary collaboration is a team made up of various disciplines working collaboratively toward a common goal. Interdisciplinary collaboration is an essential component when we desire the same outcomes related to mental health, organizational and systems change, and behavioral needs.
We need to display empathy for each team member and be sensitive to when more knowledge is needed to be explained. Meeting our team members where they are at by asking open ended questions and providing a safe place to share concerns, as well as solutions, will decrease frustrations and possible defensiveness. The art of working in a group can be a challenge if not approached in a manner that feels supported. The art of collaboration is a dance between providing expertise and continuous rapport building with your team members. The expertise provided may be spot on with what the student needs, however if the interdisciplinary collaboration approach does not match the need of all team members, then more often than not one of two things may occur: (1) improved student outcomes and teacher skill may not happen or (2) unnecessary barriers may be created.
There has been research conducted on interdisciplinary collaboration. Kelly & Tincani (2013) conducted a study on collaborative training and practice. The goal of their study was to evaluate the training behavioral professionals have had in collaboration, the type and extent of collaborative interactions they have had with other professionals, variables that facilitate and inhibit collaboration, and the extent behavioral professionals view collaboration as a valuable component of their practice. One of the results indicated is that little input from other professionals provided prior to recommendations being delivered. Another result of the study was all participants agreed collaboration is ongoing and part of ethical practice. Continued practice of interdisciplinary collaboration will only benefit the students and families we serve. Lindee Morgan wrote an article in the ASHA Leader in April 2020 discussing how collaborative relationships may seem daunting, however imperative to student outcomes. Lindee Morgan shares her thoughts on finding common ground and displaying humility when working within a professional group. Research needs to continue in the area of collaborative relationships and how they effect student outcomes and teacher skill.
What are your interdisciplinary collaborative experiences? Please comment and share below!
