As we begin this chapter on ‘Working Together’, it is important to take a look at the DEC Recommended Practices (2014) for ‘Teaming and Collaboration.’ Educational programs and services for young children who have—or are at risk for—developmental delays and disabilities, always involve more than one adult. The quality of the relationships and interactions among these adults dramatically affects the success of these programs.
The DEC describes ‘teaming and collaboration practices’ as those that promote and sustain collaborative adult partnerships, relationships, and ongoing interactions to ensure that programs and services achieve desired child and family outcomes and goals. It is a given that the family is an essential member of the team and that the team includes practitioners from multiple disciplines as needed. The teaming and collaboration practices presented include strategies for interacting and sharing knowledge and expertise in ways that are respectful, supportive, enhance capacity, and are culturally sensitive.
The DEC recommends the following practices to support teaming and collaboration:
TC1. Practitioners representing multiple disciplines and families work together as a team to plan and implement supports and services to meet the unique needs of each child and family.
TC2. Practitioners and families work together as a team to systematically and regularly exchange expertise, knowledge, and information to build team capacity and jointly solve problems, plan, and implement interventions.
TC3. Practitioners use communication and group facilitation strategies to enhance team functioning and interpersonal relationships with and among team members.
TC4. Team members assist each other to discover and access community-based services and other informal and formal resources to meet family-identified child or family needs.
TC5. Practitioners and families may collaborate with each other to identify one practitioner from the team who serves as the primary liaison between the family and other team members based on child and family priorities and needs.
Division for Early Childhood. (2014). DEC recommended practices in early intervention/early childhood special education 2014.