Is collaboration important in special education?

Yes it is because without collaboration students

do not get the best possible support or education. I feel that if done correctly, collaboration is
one of the main factors to success for students with disabilities. Collaboration gives everyone
involved in a students life the opportunity to share in the decision making, work, and outcomes
that will ultimately help the student be the most successful person he/she can be.
I believe there are many forms of collaboration within special education. The IEP team is the
first form that comes to mind. This is the team that is making major decisions about the students
education. I see the IEP team as the most formal form of collaboration. This mainly happens
once a year. Some other formal forms of collaboration can include staffing, transition planning
meetings and/or agency meetings. Some less formal ways of collaboration occur on a day to day
basis. Some examples include phone calls between teacher and parent, meetings between
teacher and student, meeting between teacher and paraprofessional and meetings between
professionals involved in the students education.
Who should be part of the collaboration? Any easy answer to that is anyone invested in the
students life. andWho is involved is this looks different for each student. However, there are
some key players for every student. These players are the parent(s), student, general education
teacher(s), special education teacher(s), and a representative from the school such as the
counselor or administrator. Some other players that could also be key part of collaboration
include related service providers, outside agency representatives, paraprofessionals, bus drivers,
brothers or sisters, extended family members, and/or friends of the student.
Collaboration is important throughout a students education; however, during times of transition
collaboration becomes even more important. Some major transition points include first time into

special education, early childhood to elementary school, elementary school to middle school,
middle school to high school, or high school to transition program. The final transition point is
from secondary school to post-secondary life. During these times of transition there are many
questions that need to be answered. There is usually stress and anxiety involved in each
transition as well. With proper collaboration the transitions can seem seamless and reduce the
stress and anxiety of everyone involved.
I think collaboration looks different with different groups of people. How one would
collaborate with parents may look different then how he/she would collaborate with
paraprofessional. However, there are some basic ground rules that help collaboration be more
successful. In order to have successful collaboration there needs to be some ideas in place. First,
no one can be forced to collaborate. Everyone needs to be willing to collaborate with each other.
Second, everyone needs to be respected. Everyones ideas need to be heard and valued equally.
Everyone also needs to respect each others differences. As teachers we may need to adjust
meetings to meet the needs of the parents. Third, the best interest of the child needs be the
ultimate goal of the group. This may look different for everyone at first but having the best
interest of the child will help with compromise and ultimately collaboration. Next, everyone has
to share in the responsibilities. This does not mean everyone does the same amount of work but
everyone has a role to play. Also, members must be willing to share resources with each other.
Each member of the group should not have to remake the wheel. Finally, everyone must share in
the accountability for the outcomes. There should be no finger pointing when things go wrong or
boosting when things go right.
What are the barriers to good collaboration? I feel the main reason collaboration is difficult is
time. There is not enough time in the day to do everything that needs to be done and

collaboration takes time. Next, I feel negative preconceptions are a big barrier to collaboration.
Many parents and general education teachers have negative preconceptions about the special
education system. Many special education teachers have negative preconceptions about
inclusion or parents. These preconceptions can come from prior experiences or personal beliefs.
Whatever the cause All these preconceptions still cause anxiety or uncertainly. Another barrier
can be cultural or personality differences. Teachers may not understand where a parent or other
colleague is coming from due to cultural differences. Also certain behaviors may be interpreted
differently causing miscommunication. Finally, power can be a major barrier to collaboration. I
think at times teachers present themselves as having all the power over a students education.
This can be intimidating to parents as well as other colleagues. On the other hand, when
parent(s) come in very strong handed or with advocates, teachers may feel that the power is in
the parents hands. If power is not shared equally collaboration will never work.
In short, I feel collaboration is highly important in special education but it is not easy. There are
many barriers to collaboration but with a little practice, a positive attitude, and determination
collaboration is possible. It is important to remember that collaboration will lead to better
outcomes for everyone involved, most important being the students.