Researchers, teacher educators, and co-teachers are keenly aware of the issues related to obtaining--and more important, keeping--good co-teaching teams. In fact, educators frequently relate co-teaching to a marriage; unfortunately, research clearly indicates that many co-teaching marriages result in struggle, separation, or even divorce. This…

Many students with intellectual disabilities want to graduate with their peers and move on to the next phase of their lives. By the time students have reached age 18, most have exhausted the coursework the school system has to offer, and they have yet to master the skills necessary for employment and independent living. Community-based transition…

If a student has multiple behavior problems that escalate over time and across different settings, school-based problem-solving teams can become quickly overwhelmed, especially when educators identify "setting events" for problem behaviors that have occurred outside of school and are beyond the control of school personnel. Instead of resorting to…

Given the increase in the numbers of children who are at risk for, or who have been diagnosed with, diabetes, school personnel must work as a team to effectively manage and support those children in school-based settings. Understanding the diabetic condition, developing an individualized healthcare plan that addresses the medical and academic…

People faced with collaboration challenges are often reluctant to be honest about problems because in many schools collaboration is a norm. But whereas most special educators are intuitively skilled at working with others, "problematic professional encounters are inevitable barriers that will appear occasionally in the life of every special…

This article offers guidelines and suggestions related to the educational interpreter's relationship and interactions with the student with hearing impairment, teachers, the student's peers and parents, supportive service personnel, and administrators. The interpreter must fulfill many roles to aid in the inclusion of students with hearing…

This article presents a detailed example of how faculty and staff at one middle school implemented team-based functional behavioral assessment (FBA) planning procedures with a student exhibiting recurring minor problems. Insets list tasks and considerations for an FBA, a sample formatted antecedent-behavior-consequence summary of team member…

This case study discusses how Jon, a boy with autism, was fully included into general education classrooms in grades K-2 that implemented tenets of the "Responsive Classroom." The guiding principles of a responsive classroom approach, benefits for children with autism, and the need for collaboration among professionals are discussed.…

Teacher work groups can be effective mechanisms to support teachers' collaborative efforts to incorporate innovative practices for students with severe disabilities. Three key rules are presented: be positive, be fair, and keep the point in focus. Guidelines for implementing those rules and for dealing with logistical problems are offered. (JDD)

Presents a "Decision Tree" process for structuring team decision making and problem solving about specific student behavioral goals. The Decision Tree involves a sequence of questions/decisions that can be answered in "yes/no" terms. Questions address reasonableness of the goal, time factors, importance of the goal, responsibilities, safety,…

This article outlines a variety of communication strategies for effective collaboration in school settings, including conducting a needs assessment, providing professional development, producing newsletters, forming study groups, and conducting small-group dialogues. Topics for conversation are discussed and sample needs assessment items are…

This article reports on an action research project focused on a first-grader with a severe articulation disorder. Intervention involved collaboration by his classroom teacher, mother, speech pathologist, and the child to develop, implement, and continually evaluate an action plan. (Contains 12 references.) (DB)

This article explains the use of mediation to improve special education partnerships between families and schools. Benefits and drawbacks to mediation are described, along with strategies for finding out about mediation in individual states and finding a mediator. Information on the Consortium for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special…

Guidelines for including ventilator-dependent children in school are offered, based on experience with six such students at a New York State school. Guidelines stress adherence to the medical management plan, the school-family partnership, roles of the social worker and psychologist, orientation, transportation, classroom issues, and steps toward…

This article describes the development of collaborative partnership throughout the first year of a primary grade team including a classroom teacher, a graduate student providing special education services, and a university coordinator. It describes how collaboration allowed team members to meet the individual needs of children with learning…