What are some of the barriers to becoming a cooperative team?

One of the barriers to team commitment is that meetings are only scheduled ‘when needed’ or only AFTER some problem has become so conspicuous that it is interfering with the child’s day. Proactive planning cannot occur under these conditions, but we know that retroactive action is rarely productive. It may be important to include the meeting timetable in a child’s IEP to be sure that it is adhered to on a regular basis.

Working on a team is a challenging proposition, especially for those with little or no experience. Many people within the community prefer to work on their own rather than in small groups, while others cannot stay on task without the stimulation of interacting with others. Unfortunately, when parents have a child with a disability, they do not always get to choose to live in a world that revolves around their personal strengths. Many people can choose their own preferred mode of interaction in work, home, and recreation activities. People who are more solitary can choose individual sports (i.e. swimming or archery) rather than team or partner-based activities (i.e. football or tennis).

People with good interaction skills choose careers in which this is part of their daily routine (i.e. car salesman or real estate agent) and others will choose to work in a cubby in a small office where interaction with others is limited to a few regular contacts. People can choose to live in a crowded urban area, or a secluded cul-de-sac in the suburbs; to have 8 children or 2; to have regular activities planned with extended family members –or not. When parents have a child with a disability, they are thrown into a required set of circumstances that they may not have chosen otherwise, and may be immensely uncomfortable in. Parents who are invested in their child’s best interest and have the innate ability to handle what they would not ordinarily choose are better prepared to become effective members of an IEP team than parents who have trouble understanding priorities unfamiliar to them or are particularly shy or passive.

This is not to say, however, that they cannot learn those skills! In addition to these issues, many parents have complicating situations such as a limited knowledge of the English language, cultural differences, learning disabilities such as dyslexia they may find embarrassing to admit to others, multiple children with disabilities or other sibling issues, etc. Listening to complex information and adjusting to an unfamiliar meeting format become even more difficult for anyone who is, at the same time, trying to manage painful realizations and expectations. AND, all of this happens while under the scrutiny of people they would like to be connected to, but often hardly know. Everyone should keep in mind that these things do not keep anyone from being a good PARENT, only from being a comfortable and relaxed team member. Rarely do school personnel ever experience the perspective of a parent.

For parents of children with ASD this picture can become even more difficult. Because research has shown a genetic component to the cause of at least some children with autism spectrum disorders, parents are often at risk for displaying some of the qualities that are so troublesome for their children. These might include resistance to change in routine, difficulty with conceptual ideas, auditory processing, organization, initiation, anxiety, recognizing nonverbal social cues, critical thinking and problem solving, etc. They might appear overly abrupt or have trouble recognizing the social impairments of their own child. They may over-focus on small details and overlook the big picture (i.e. arguing over number of hours when the quality of those hours are the more prominent issue). They may have trouble sharing very personal and painful information. Each of these in isolation could potentially become a barrier to acceptance within the team, but they are just as likely not to appear as individual traits, but may appear to be a deliberate uncooperative manner.

It is hoped that these complicating factors will be considered and respected among other team members so that tension is not allowed to build that could derail the entire process. For instance, meeting with parents one-to-one to patiently explain evaluation reports in a less stressful atmosphere can go a long way in fostering a relationship that will be productive for all concerned. Thinking about some of the interventions that work for kids with ASD can be helpful in figuring out how to work effectively with parents, and other members of the team as well, no matter how capable they may be. Some ideas:

• Using visuals: charts, agendas, resource lists, reminder cards, written descriptions of the expected sequential format of IEP meetings, etc.
• Using clear, unembellished language (without a lot of jargon, terminology, or just ‘intellectual’ words and phrases)
• Positive behavioral supports (using positive language encouragement for appropriate action rather than negative admonishments)
• A quick review of all agreements and disagreements before leaving the meeting to be sure there are no misunderstandings
• A ‘safe person’ to contact when questions or concerns arise (someone who will not question or minimize concerns, but who can be counted upon to explain options and take needed action reliably (i.e. not an itinerant therapist who shifts between buildings on different days and is not easy to reach)
• Modifications and supports: offer tape recordings of meetings, copies of team meeting notes, proposed goals given ahead of time for pre-learning, etc.
• Action item lists: Tasks broken down into single steps (a list of all expected activities before the next meeting)
• Initiating action: offering answers to anticipated questions, or inviting parents to visit classrooms rather than waiting to be asked
• Direct instruction in the IEP process and special education law (rather than hoping parents will be able to locate and digest this on their own)

As you can see, none of these things would require extensive time or effort, but would offer respectful assistance to anyone struggling to deal with systems with which they have no prior familiarity or formal training. The rewards of including a parent as an equal team member cannot be underestimated.

For children with all disabilities, cooperation and sharing of ideas between school and home is good practice and adds to the quality and effectiveness of their educational programs. For children with autism spectrum disorders, they are a substantive component of their program. Members of successful teams can applaud themselves on doing their best to make this process as comfortable and successful as possible so that the child will benefit, but can also be assured that the rewards will extend to family members and involved staff as well.