Chapter 10
TEAMING: COLLABORATION, PROBLEM SOLVING, AND
CONSULTATION
OUTLINE
I. Collaboration, Problem Solving, and Shared Decision Making
A. Communication Strategies: The Key to Successful Teaming
B. Problem Solving and Conflict Resolution
C. Dealing with Conflict: Perspective Taking and the Process of Conflict Resolution
D. Problem-Solving Case Study: Paulo
II. Models for Supporting Children with Special Needs in Inclusive Settings
A. No Support
B. Use of One-to-One Assistant
C. Staff Inservice Models
G. A Note on Disability Specialist and Therapists in Itinerant Service Delivery Roles
H. Specific Support Strategies Provided by Itinerants
III. Coteaching Approaches to Inclusion Support
A. Coteaching Defined
B. Challenges of Coteaching
C. Components of Effective Coteaching
IV. Effective Teaming with Interdisciplinary Specialists
V. Working with Paraprofessionals
A. Who Are the Paraprofessionals?
B. Designing and Defining Jobs
C. Communicating Expectations
D. Discovering and Using Special Skills and Talents
E. Defining the Teacher’s Responsibilities to Paraprofessionals
F. Being and Appropriate Role Model
G. Allowing for Sufficient Planning Time
H. Providing Constructive Feedback: Coaching and Mentoring the Paraprofessional
VI. Paraprofessionals as One-to-One Assistants
VII. Evaluating Paraprofessional Services
A. Using Self-Evaluations
B. Teaching-Initiated Evaluations of the Paraprofessional
XIV. Summary
XV. Discussion Topics and Activities
ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS AND VOCABULARY
Affective conflict
Coaching
Collaboration
Collaborative consultation model
Conflict resolution
Coteaching
Expert model of consultation
Itinerant
Resistance
Substantive conflict
Verbal conversational strategies
TEST QUESTIONS – CHAPTER 10
Multiple Choice
1. Which of the following is not a factor in the successful inclusion of a child with special needs
in a community-based setting?
a. Well-trained, flexible ECE staff
b. Family involvement
c. Potty trained
d. Mutual respect between ECE staff and special education therapeutic staff
2. Examples of support that an inclusion specialist might provide include:
a. Inservice and information to staff members
b. Ongoing observation and assessment of child
c. Demonstration/modeling of specific interventions
d. All of the above
3. A common inclusion support model approach is
a. Peer coaching
b. Coteaching
c. Administrative support
d. Inclusion therapy
4. Itinerant consultant strategies and activities should include
a. Ongoing therapy
b. Lesson plans
c. Observation
d. Only working directly with the child, to give the staff release time
5. The preferred consultation approach in education today is
a. Collaborative consultation model
b. Clinical consultation model
c. Itinerant consultation model
d. ECSE consultation model
6. Important components of effective collaboration include
a. Effective communication
b. Problem solving
c. Conflict resolution
d. All of the above
7. A job description for an aide should be
a. Kept on the wall of the classroom
b. Written and kept by the teacher
c. Written at least once a year
d. Written by the principal
8. Which of the following give an indication that a paraprofessional knows how to begin
successful involvement with young children?
a. Say that he/she loves children
b. Get on eye level with the children
c. Show a real interest in the families
d. Has raised children of his or her own
9. Which role is not appropriate for the teacher in the teacher-paraprofessional relationship?
a. Role model
b. Manager
c. Leader
d. Boss
10. Which of the following is not a reason for professional burnout among paraprofessionals?
a. Recognition of a job well done
b. Inadequate training which keeps them off the team
c. Undefined role description
d. No opportunity for advancement
11. Which of the following does not contribute to effective coteaching?
a. Adequate planning time
b. The one teaching, one supporting structure
c. Commitment to collaboration
d. Strict adherence to one’s own teaching philosophy
12. One-to-one assistants should
a. Provide whatever degree of intervention they think is necessary
b. Act as a buffer between the child and her peers
c. Avoid stigmatizing the child as the only one is the class who requires a personal
assitant
d. View their position in the classroom as permanent
13. A service or services commonly provided by teaching assistants are
a. planning individual goals for the children
b. greeting the children and assisting with all routines
c. representing the teacher in IEP meetings
d. all of the above
14. The job design is the responsibility of the
a. Teacher
b. Paraprofessional
c. Team including parents
d. Both a and b
15. An optimal working relationship between teacher and paraprofessional is highly dependent
on
a. Recognition of the paraprofessional’s job
b. Independence of the paraprofessional
c. Skills of the paraprofessional
d. Communication between early interventionist and paraprofessional
True-False
1. All states are required by IDEA to develop training for paraprofessionals.
2. A paraprofessional need only have the motivation to serve to be a good aide or volunteer.
3. Performance effectiveness of paraprofessionals should be evaluated only in an informal
session with the teacher.
4. The use of a one-on-one assistant can actually impede the progress of a child.
5. A one-on-one assistant is a great help to the classroom teacher because the assistant will meet
the needs of that one child, thus freeing the teacher to help the others.
6. One-on-one assistants should be viewed as temporary whenever possible.
7. Extreme disillusionment with one’s job is common among paraprofessionals.
8. Planning is the key for using a paraprofessional’s time and talents.
9. Teachers cannot avoid focusing on the paraprofessional’s personality when giving
constructive criticism to the paraprofessional.
10. Teacher-initiated evaluations should not be necessary because teaching assistants can learn
most from self-evaluations.
11. The ways in which young children with special needs are supported in inclusive settings is
highly variable.
12. As mandated by IDEA (P.L. 105-17), toddlers and preschoolers who have disabilities should
be served in special education classrooms.
13. One of the major barriers to successful inclusion is the philosophical differences between
ECSC and ECE staff.
14. An inclusion support specialist is usually a therapist who sees the child in an inclusive
setting.
15. Adequate planning time is an essential component of coteaching.
Short Answer
1. An early childhood special educator who provides support for one or more children with
problem concerning a third party.
3. A good method for evaluation of the paraprofessional by the teacher and the teacher by the
paraprofessional considers how he/she can do something worthwhile in the classroom and the
teacher considers how to use this person to complement him/herself to realize program goals.
5. Before the early interventionist can recruit paraprofessionals, he/she must develop a clear job
6. The role of leader and manager of the classroom is the job of the teacher or early
Comprehensive Essay
1. Name and describe the factors which support successful inclusion of young children with
special needs in community-based settings.
2. Describe two major support service delivery models for inclusion.
3. Describe the philosophical differences between ECE and ECSE and how these differences can
influence inclusion.
4. What type of evaluation process would you use for your teaching assistant?
5. Write a job description for a paraprofessional who would assist you during circle and snack
time. Be very specific about the duties.
6. Compare and contrast the teacher as boss and the teacher as coach.
7. Sue is the teacher assistant in your class. You have noticed that she does an excellent job of
keeping the classroom neat and uncluttered. You wish, however, that she would relate better to
the children―get on their level when she talks with them and give them more praise for what
they do. Write a brief dialogue that illustrates constructive criticism to Sue during your
evaluation session with her.
8. Paul, in your classroom, has a one-to-one aide, Diane. Paul is autistic. Diane has not worked
with Paul before. When Paul is jostled he cries out as if in pain. He becomes very disruptive
during times of transition in the classroom. List five concepts you would cover with Diane in
your first meeting with her.
9. In the situation above, list at least five steps in helping Paul to become more independent of
Diane’s help. The terminal objective is to have Paul function in the classroom without Diane.
Give reasons for each of the steps.
10. List three duties that you would like a teacher’s assistant to do in your classroom. Now tell
how you would provide feedback to the aide for each of those duties, using both praise and
constructive criticism.
CHAPTER TEN – ANSWER KEY