Strengthening a Collaborative ASD Team

The multifaceted way in which autism spectrum disorder presents in any one individual necessitates input from a range of specialists including teachers and the childs family. The value of a collaborative team approach is becoming widely recognised for the benefits of the combined knowledge and skills being more effective than specialists working in isolation. Collaborative teams are also recognised as essential to development of fully inclusive education. However, an effective collaborative team is much more than a group of professionals attending a meeting together. In a presentation created for Pacific University students, Macfarlane describes a model of collaborative teams positioning the family and child at the centre . Circles of increasing size around the family and child, represent the frequency of interactions with the family.

To understand what makes an effective collaborative team a clear understanding of the purpose, and enablers in this process must be considered.

Purpose of a collaborative team working with individuals with ASD Collaborative teams combine knowledge, expertise and resources to find the best way to meet the needs of the child. This is achieved through collaboration at all stages of: Assessment IEP process Planning and implementation of interventions Monitoring Problem solving

Collaborative teams provide an opportunity for the development interprofessional education, practice and learning.

Enablers to a collaborative team working with individuals with ASD General: Shared and clear responsibilities and roles Know what each expert can bring to the team All members equally valued Adequate planning time used effectively and efficiently Sufficient time for formal meetings ..taking the time that is required for open and frank discussions.. (Berryman and Bateman, 2008, p.26) Support one another Acknowledge and accept different perspectives Learn about each other Cultural responsiveness In a professional team culture, participants should respect cultural differences in how people view the concepts of disability and parent-professional collaboration. (Dabkowski, 2004, p.37) Positive, passionate people with the childs needs as the focus Opportunities for shared professional development

Parents: See the parent as an equal in the collaborative team, they are the experts on their child

In the IEP process ..parents believed that educators did not value parents as equals (Fish, 2007, p.56) Recognising the pressure parents of children with ASD are under on a daily basis and not overwhelming them with interventions to implement at home Contact the family about successes as well as challenges that arise at school

Acknowledge effort and successes of parents Welcome the familys requests for more involvement in the team Value the information the parents have e.g. what strategies work well at home? Respect the parents concerns by listening, showing understanding, offering information and dealing with the concern in a timely fashion Put yourself in the shoes of the parents Provide training workshops for parents Home visits Provide relevant, reliable information that is accessible to the parents without too much jargon and in an appropriate language Find an effective way to communicate regularly with parents: email, phone, home school book Consider what you say and how you say it

Applying these values to strengthen a team The team in this example is currently supporting a 6 year old child with a PD-NOS diagnosis, placed in a mainstream, inclusive classroom setting.

Role Child Family - be a child -source of knowledge -contribute to planning and assessment

What is happening now? -daily face to face contact with family before and after school, sharing successes - family participation in class events - supports child with homework - uses same strategies at home as at school for toileting and non-compliance

What would improve effectiveness? -encourage family to contribute to narrative assessment -use email more to share photos/videos of childs learning - talk to family about what they want from IEP meeting a few days prior to meeting - ensure family has voice throughout meetings and copies of any correspondence between team members - find opportunity to spend some time in class with child

SENCO

-provide supervision for -attends/leads IEP meetings teacher and teacher aide - writes up IEP

to get a fuller picture of his strengths and needs - ensure SENCO gets copied into emails between team members RTLB - support teacher, teacher - visits class weekly to drop off - assist/model developing a aide and family resources and work weekly plan allowing more - coordinate funding with/observe child accurate evaluation of referrals - listens and offers strategies used - offer strategies for ideas/support/next steps to participation and teacher and TA contribution in class - fights for funding -provide appropriate - passionate in her support of resources and information the child -liaise with family - always responds to communications, even during holidays - we have got to know each other well -attends IEPs SLT - provide speech related - 2 visits to withdraw child from - contact by email to update resources/strategies to class and make a time for her to help teachers and family - no meetings attended visit and work with child and support the childs clarity - no comprehensive strategies TA in the classroom setting and structure of speech suggested - acknowledge difference in - different perspectives of perspectives and try to reach childs speech and language agreement or compromise level from the rest of team Educational - support child, family and - home visit - spend time in class Psychologist school to implement -meetings with teacher and TA observing child and strategies strategies to reduce non- at lunch times 1 x month used by TA and class teacher compliance and -suggests calming strategies aggression -leads IEP meetings Health Nurse - support school, family -helped develop a toileting -email her to let her know and child to develop schedule/strategy for things are going well and appropriate toileting home/school with thank her for her involvement habits reinforcements in the team -provided information on toileting issues in young children - is available if any more help is needed or if the situation changes Teacher Aide - support child to - passionate about childs -work with teacher to plan participate and contribute needs, social and academic and review a suitable weekly to class activities development program based on key -collaborate with teacher - isolated from other TAs due competencies of NZC and

- oversee processes -overs help for crisis situations -ensure smooth running of -ensures provision of TA cover processes - regular informal face to face communication or emails

on planning, assessment, to times she is in contact with evaluation child - very close relationship with teacher - contributes to meetings and IEPs - seeks direction when needed -regular communication out of school hours by email Class Teacher -support child to - passionate about childs participate and contribute needs, social and academic to class activities development -liaise with family and rest - actively seeks advice and of team information from rest of team - regular communication with most team members - regular communication with family - researches possible interventions for child

Expanded Curriculum Frameworks - adapt schedule to provide time with other TAs for 15 ins prior to childrens lunch time - make sure she knows what a great job she does -work with TA to plan and review a suitable weekly program based on key competencies of NZC and Expanded Curriculum Frameworks - build relationship with SLT - develop transition plan for end of year/start of new year

Conclusion A wealth of literature is available to inform the development and effectiveness of collaborative teams supporting children with special needs and specifically children with ASD. Whilst reviewing these resources it appears that much of this information is repeated making key criteria become evident. From my own experience one of the most powerful ways of increasing a team I was involved with was every member attending a Tips for Autism Course. We learned with, from and about each other, planned effectively, all members were viewed as equals, the childs needs were the focus for 3 whole days and after the course the team met up socially on a number of occasions. This underlines the need for a team to have time to become effective as well as the knowledge and expertise to make a difference to the development of the child.

References
Berryman, M., & Bateman, S. (2008). Effective bicultural leadership: A way to restore harmony at school and avoid suspension. SET, 1, 25. Retrieved from

http://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Partnerships-and-networks/Buildingrelationships-with-whanau-hapu-and-iwi/Effective-Bicultural-Leadership Dabkowski, D. M. (2004). Encouraging Active Parent Participation in IEP Team Meetings. Teaching Exceptional Children, 36(3), 34-39. Retrieved from https://www2.bc.edu/alecpeck/Dabkowski.pdf Fish, W. (2007). Perceptions of parents of students with autism towards the IEP meeting: A case study of one family support group chapter. Education, 127(1), 56-66. Retrieved from http://home.sandiego.edu/~joi.spencer/EDUC%20500%20SPR %202007/autismarticle.pdf Hughes, H. (n.d.). Building Broad-Based Multidisciplinary Teams: Effective Collaboration Among Parents, School Personnel & Other Professionals. College of Education UNT. Retrieved October 2013, from http://autism.unt.edu/sites/default/files/Heather%20Hughes.pdf Macfarlane. (n.d.). Teams. Retrieved October 2013, from http://education.ed.pacificu.edu/macfarlane/courses/sped500/teamspresesent6topage. pdf Module 9: Collaboration. (n.d.). University of South Carolina. Retrieved October 2013, from http://uscm.med.sc.edu/autism_project/Module%209.pps Project STAGES: Supporting Students with Autism in General Education Settings: Module 2 Collaboration for IEP Development. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2013, from USC Centre For Disability Resources: Project STAGES: Supporting Students with Autism in General Education Settings Saggers, B., Macartney, B., & Guerin, A. (2012). Developing relationships that support learning and participation. In Teaching in Inclusive School Communities (pp. 209-230). Australia: John Wiley and Sons. Swiezy, N., Stuart, M., & Korzekwa, P. (2008). Bridging for Success in Autism: Training and Collaboration Across Medical, Educational, and Community Systems. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 17 (4), 907-922. Retrieved from http://www.childpsych.theclinics.com/article/S1056-4993(08)00047-3/abstract