WHY IS COLLABORATION IMPORTANT IN SPECIAL EDUCATION?

As Kareem Abdul-Jabbar stated, “Five guys on the court working together can achieve more than five talented individuals who come and go as individuals.”  Collaboration in special education is important because many professionals, staff, and family members have meaningful and contributable contact that can make a more positive and impactful educational difference if experiences and knowledge are shared.  Each individual that is in contact with the student will be doing so within a different context, therefore will have different perspectives, information, strategies, and experiences that can prove beneficial to others. The sharing of information across individuals will advance students in special education further than professionals working alone within separate silos.  That is, the student will have a team of professionals (family being another form of professional as they are a professional in that student) rather than a conglomerate of separate individuals working alone for a common goal.  The team working together for student success can gain more together than working separately.  However, just coming together isn’t the same as working together.  As Henry Ford recognized, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is a success.”