Collaboration. It simply means we are better together. So many things are more effective and successful when they are done with individuals who work together, share ideas, and get the job done. Together Everyone Achieves More, it’s the TEAM approach. When school/home environments create a team to support learners with DeafBlindness, the learner can accomplish so much more. As separate entities, school staff or families cannot effectively support everything alone. We must work collaboratively. What does that mean for your student with DeafBlindness? Let’s discuss that!
Just as we want our learners to communicate, we must also do so with our team. When everyone is on the same page, the learner feels more comfortable and ready to learn. It helps them to reach their goals faster when they have a supportive home/school team. Many of the team members know the learner in different capacities. The learner may show different skills and preferences with different people. The knowledge shared during group collaboration gives a deeper understanding of their needs and behaviors. Different team members may also use different communication methods with the learner. When everyone begins to use the same format, it can lead to increased communication skills from the learner.
Effective collaboration encourages members to feel ownership of the team, leading to a higher chance of involvement from everyone. Team members must be open to learning from others and willing to listen to the ideas and information of others. Group collaboration is not based on the opinions of one or two people. The entire team must have buy-in and feel heard without feeling that conflict is involved. During planning, it’s important to put the learner first and focus on what’s best for him or her.
In addition to formal team meetings, the teacher can gain valuable information to help the learner using daily home-school logs. Children tend to interact differently at home than they do at school. It’s helpful to gain information from the home setting and can be a great guide when deciding effective avenues for communication with the student.
What are some valuable collaborative methods have you used with your school team and/or home/school team? Please share in the comments section below!
For more information about collaborative teaming for learners with DeafBlindness, check out the Open Hands, Open Access modules on the topic.
https://www.nationaldb.org/products/modules/ohoa/collaborative-teaming/
Julie Brickhouse, MAEd, NBCT
ECU Teacher Support Program
Technical Consultant
Reference
Kennedy, B., Veto, M., Fitzgerald, S., Kenrick, S., Edelman, S. & Mogan, M. (2015, September). Collaborative teaming and family partnerships. In National Center on Deaf-Blindness, Open Hands, Open Access: Deaf-Blind Intervener Learning Modules. Monmouth, OR: National Center on Deaf-Blindness, The Research Institute at Western Oregon University.