STATE & LOCAL SERVICES
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PARENT-PROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION within EARLY INTERVENTION & SPECIAL EDUCATION Children with autism spectrum disorder benefit considerably when parents and professionals work cooperatively to plan for and meet their needs. It is common for multiple service providers to be involved in the child’s care and treatment. Parents, family members, and service providers each bring their own perspectives, expertise, and experience with the individual. Therefore, members of the child’s treatment team should regularly share information with each other as they all work toward the goal of achieving the best outcome for the child. Parents should always be considered equal members of this team. Collaboration means working together in an equally reciprocal relationship to achieve a common goal. Effective collaboration begins with consistent and open communication. Parents and professionals can form a successful partnership by focusing on the child’s goals and working on them together. A collaborative relationship can be cultivated in a number of ways. For parents, participating in activities such as volunteering at school or joining a parent advisory council or parent teacher organization may be fulfilling, educational, and provide networking opportunities. Parents may also wish to share their ideas for new goals and objectives for their child with professionals. For professionals, sensitivity is crucial when working with a family to establish educational goals for a student with ASD. Although it is important to share their expertise, profes- sionals should be considerate of the difficult issues facing the family. Like any other relationship, the parent-professional one takes work. Despite the best of intentions, there may be times when parents and professionals do not see eye-to-eye about recommendations or services for a child. As challenging as that may be, it is often in the child’s best interest to continue to negotiate and advocate informally. Clear, open, honest, and written communication with the members of the IFSP or IEP team can often resolve issues before more formal procedures are needed. Even if the team seems to be working effectively together, communication and trust may break down. If this occurs, there are procedural safeguards in place that allow parents to request a facilitated IEP meeting, file a formal complaint, or begin mediation or due process.
COLLABORATION
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