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Collaboration Strategies

by Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
​June 12, 2022

Collaboration StrategiesTeam Effort

​Instructing students in the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) is a team effort. Effective teams work closely together and in synch to best support students. Other team members may provide intense service in some ECC areas with collaboration from the TVI. This may include the Occupational Therapist, Special Education teacher or para working intensely and daily on activities of daily living. The speech and language pathologist may work on communication skills and social skills with a group of students. While each person will specialize in their areas, there should be overlap and working together. You want other team members to follow through on areas of the ECC just like a PT wants team members to support positioning throughout the day and the OT will want the team to meet the students sensory and fine motor needs, and the speech and language pathologist will want everyone to use communication devices or boards throughout the day. The team will be more effective if everyone learns from each other. You may even want to occasionally “co-treat” meaning you share a lesson. The other therapist will be focusing on how the student approaches activities and focus on their domain while you will be focusing on embedding ECC skills. Remember, the goal of every IEP is that the student is successful and supported through a team approach. The important thing to remember is that other team members shouldn’t provide instruction in some areas such as braille instruction as only a TVI is qualified to provide instruction in braille.

Coach Your Teams

One of your roles as a TVI is to coach the teams on which you serve. Effective coaching means you need to quickly recognize team members strengths, weaknesses and motivations to help each of them improve. Remember, not all team members may have had experience working with a student who is blind or visually impaired. Set clear expectations of the student’s visual needs without using jargon and if you do use jargon, be sure to explain it. Be specific about the accommodations the student needs and provide support and feedback when problems arise by brainstorming with the team members to find solutions. Strive to foster confidence and trust with the team. You can do this by following through on what you say, respecting their time, showing up when you are scheduled to and listening.

​Contributing to Positive Team Interactions

To best support the student, you need to do your part to contribute to positive team interactions. You can do this by providing ongoing collaboration and getting to know the team members and their concerns. Make sure the decisions that are made are team decisions. While you may feel confident in your role, remember that you can learn strategies from others who have their own areas of expertise too. Be sure that when you provide feedback you are thoughtful in your delivery and provide specific feedback. And finally, remember to provide information & resources of where team members can find more information.

New Team Tips

At the beginning of the school year or anytime there is a change in the student’s team, you will want to be proactive and introduce yourself to new team members. Make sure each team member is aware of the student’s unique visual needs and the accommodations they need. Review the student’s records and needs prior to talking with the teacher so you can best answer their questions. It’s always helpful to provide vision simulation activities to help team members better understand the student’s needs. This can also be helpful to use with teams you worked with for a while if there are new tools introduced or a change in the student’s needs or if there is a need for better understanding of the student’s visual and learning needs. Also be sure you maintain reciprocity and listen to their concerns and what you need to help support.

Be Dependable

As you’re creating a schedule, work with the team to find the optimal time for the student. This presents a challenge when you have several students who need the same time, so it’s helpful to have teachers provide the best time and a backup time if that doesn’t work. Make every effort to not pull the student from their core classes or any tests as the student will get behind academically. Once you create your schedule, try your best to stick to your schedule and demonstrate to the team that you are dependable and reliable. While it’s ideal to stick to a schedule, be flexible. Know that student’s schedules may change and you may need to start over. When that happens, explain to team members and apologize for the inconvenience.

Customize Consult Time

You will need to customize your consult time to meet both the needs of the student and the needs of the team. Some teams will need more support as they may not have experience working with a student with similar needs or they may have worked with the student for many years and not need as much support. Be responsive and ready to jump in and provide consultation as any issues arise. When team members have questions that you don’t know the answer to, don’t be afraid to say you don’t know. When you don’t have answers, let the team know you will get back to them. Then do research and find the answers quickly and efficiently and follow up in a timely manner. Whatever you do, always follow through on what you say you will do.

Develop Positive Relationships

You will be more effective if you develop positive relationships with each member of the student’s team. When team members feel like you listen and care, they will be more likely to listen to suggestions. Additionally, be respectful of their room, home and time. Sometimes it can take awhile to build a trusting relationship, especially if the teacher has been “burned” in the past by team members who have lost their trust. Don’t give up. Stay positive and support the team.   ​

Communication is Key

When talking with team members, be sure you listen more than you speak. Other team members will have unique insight and information. Each team member has unique knowledge of and understanding of the student and the student’s needs. As you listen, be sure to listen to the person and listen to understand and not just to reply. When you do reply, avoid jargon and be clear in your suggestions. The goal is to help others understand how to meet the student’s visual needs and not to prove your knowledge on the topic.

Keep the Focus on the Student

Any team can have drama or members that don’t always agree. Remember you are there for the student. When there are problems, brainstorm together as a team and seek cohesiveness. Address any conflicts quickly and kindly being quick to offer apologies and quick to forgive. And by all means hold your tongue in criticizing team members! After all, you never know who is related! 
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
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