Transcript Families as Partners in Communication and Collaboration

Chapter 8
Families as Partners in
Communication and
Collaboration
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-1
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Sharing Their Story
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Chad Nelms has autism and when he could not
communicate with words he used behavior.
The most important goal for Chad is language related.
If Chad cannot communicate with words, he will
communicate with behaviors and often this is
problematic for Chad’s teachers.
Understanding and responding appropriately requires
the knowledge and skills of effective interventions.
Marley and Chandler were able to enroll Chad in a an
early intervention program that used behavior analysis
intervention.
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-2
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Sharing Their Story
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Communication is critical as all partners work to ensure
Chad is benefiting from programming that will ensure he
will meet the four outcomes for individuals with disabilities.
For Chad to benefit from effective interventions, the Nelms
must communicate with each other and with Chad’s
teachers. Teachers need to communicate with each other.
Throughout their moves the Nelms have not always found
school partners willing to be open to their suggestions. Not
all partners have demonstrated the principles of
communication, professional competence, respect,
commitment, equality, advocacy and trust.
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-3
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Think About It
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If you were meeting with a parent as committed and
informed as Marley Nelms, what positive response might
you offer when she asks you to communicate with
professionals from another agency?
What positive response might you have when she brings
the data proving that some interventions have greatly
helped Chad?
How would you develop a positive partnership with her
if you knew she and her husband had sued a school
district and won a partial victory, costing the school
district a tidy sum of money?
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-4
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Creating a Collaborative Climate
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Communicating within a Team Context
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Different types of teams exist in schools. As
their purposes vary, so also does their
membership.
Multidisciplinary teams
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Members from various disciplines meet to
share information . Team members tend to
confine themselves to their own disciplines.
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-5
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Communicating Within a Team Context
Multidisciplinary team members include but are not
limited to :
 school nursing
 special education
 audiology
 general education
 vision
 speech-language/
communication therapy
 orientation and mobility
 occupational therapy
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applied behavior
analysis/positive behavior
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physical therapy
support
 school social work
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paraprofessionals
 school psychology
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-6
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Communicating within a Team Context
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Transdisciplinary Team Approach
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Members are collectively responsible for
planning, implementing and evaluating
services. An unique attribute of this approach is
referred to as ‘role release”.
Team members do not allow traditional
disciplinary boundaries to guide their work.
They share information, skills, and
responsibility for the student’s program.
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-7
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Communicating within a Team Context
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Other Team Approaches
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Collaborative
Collaborative Consultation
Integrated Therapy
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-8
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Using Positive Interpersonal
Communication Skills
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Non-verbal Communication Skills
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Physical attending: Contact, facial
expressions and gestures.
Listening: Various styles exist ranging from
ignoring to empathetic listening.
Non-verbal communication styles and
preferences vary greatly from culture to
culture.
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-9
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Using Positive Interpersonal
Communication Skills
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Verbal Communication Skills
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Furthering Responses: Indicates attentive
listening and encourages family members
to continue to speak and examine their
thoughts and feelings.
Paraphrasing: Involves using your words
to restate a family member’s message or
perception in a clear manner. Allows the
listener to clarify and check for accuracy.
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-10
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Using Positive Interpersonal
Communication Skills
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Verbal Communication Skills
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Responding to Affect: Using words that
reflect and affirm how a family member is
feeling.
Questioning: The use of closed-ended and
open-ended questions to gain additional
information from a family. Open-ended
questions provide opportunities for
increased sharing and dialogue.
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-11
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Using Positive Interpersonal
Communication Skills
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Verbal Communication Skills
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Summarizing and Summarization:
“Recapping” what a family member has
said while emphasizing the most salient
thoughts and feelings.
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-12
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Using Positive Interpersonal
Communication Skills
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Using Cultural Competence to Seek
Solutions
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Skilled Dialogue Approach: Teaches
professionals to be more culturally
competent and responsive in interactions
with families whose cultural values and
beliefs differ from their own.
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-13
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Using Positive Interpersonal
Communication Skills
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Using Cultural Competence to Seek
Solutions
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“Third Space” refers to a situation in which
people creatively reframe the diverse
perspectives and contradictions of each
other so that these perspective merge to
address challenging issues.
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-14
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Using Positive Interpersonal
Communication Skills
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Using Creative Group Problem-Solving
Approaches
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Develop a vision
Agree on a specific goal
Brainstorm options for addressing the goal
Evaluate benefits and drawbacks of each
option
Select the most appropriate option
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-15
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Using Positive Interpersonal
Communication Skills
Using Creative Group Problem-Solving Approaches
 Specify an implementation plan, including the
person responsible, resources and timeline.
 Implement the plan.
 Evaluate how closely the results of the action
matched the goals .
 Modify the plan and continue to make
progress.
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-16
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Using Positive Interpersonal
Communication Skills
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Resolving Conflict and Misunderstanding
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Conflict is natural and has the capacity to
inform and advance the collective efforts of
the team.
Communication skills to resolve conflicts
include:
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Separating people from issues
Focusing on interests, not positions
Generating options
Using objective criteria
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-17
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Strategies for Communicating Positively
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Identifying and Respecting Family
Preferences
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Gaining a family systems perspective is
developed through:
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Creating an informal, comfortable relationship.
Engaging in “conversations” rather than
interviews.
Allowing families to lead conversations.
Interacting in a manner that is respectful to the
family’s cultural preferences.
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-18
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Strategies for Communicating Positively
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Respecting Family Preferences
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Inquire about the family’s preferences for
communication; What methods of
communication are most useful for the
family?
Ask parents what type of information they
would like to receive.
Ask parents to identify whom they prefer to
communicate with at the school.
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-19
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Strategies for Communicating Positively
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Low-Tech Written Spoken Methods of
Communication
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Handbooks, handouts, and newsletters
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Format considerations: Concise, attractive, and
written in simple and understandable language.
Have materials available in a variety of different
languages.
Incorporate student and family contributions to the
greatest extent possible.
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-20
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Strategies for Communicating Positively
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Low-Tech Written Spoken Methods of
Communication
 Letters, notes, and dialogue journals
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Provides a flow of communication between home
and school.
When used appropriately, dialogue journals
promote increased communication between home
and school, leading to enhanced familyprofessional partnerships
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-21
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Strategies for Communicating Positively
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Low-Tech Written and Spoken Methods of
Communication
 Telephone contacts with families
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Effective means for providing information and
emotional support to families.
Occasional calls may result in improved student
performance.
When calling parents, keep conversations brief and
to the point.
Consider alternative avenues for parents who do not
have reliable phone service.
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-22
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Strategies for Communicating Positively
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High-Tech Methods of Communication
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Internet, videotapes, and audiotapes can serve
as effective communication media between
home and school:
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E-mail bulletin boards, e-mail messages, schoolwide and classroom websites, blogging, text
messages.
Videotapes as report cards, progress reports, and
instructional procedures for families.
Audiotapes to exchange information and ideas.
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-23
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Strategies for Communicating Positively
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Face-to-Face Interactions
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Planned meetings between families and
professionals.
Requires pre-planning to ensure positive
outcomes for families and professionals:
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Pre-meeting preparation: Notifying families of the
meeting, planning an agenda, arranging the
environment.
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-24
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Strategies for Communicating Positively
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Face-to-Face Interactions
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Effective meetings between professionals and
families include:
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Building rapport
Obtaining information
Providing information
Summarizing
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-25
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Strategies for Communicating Positively
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Face-to-Face Interactions
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Unplanned meetings between families and professionals
require pre-planning on the part of the professional to
handle the interaction in a professional manner.
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Decide what is possible for you to do in response to the
unplanned meeting.
Talk with other professionals about their strategies for handling
unplanned meetings.
Identify topics that are open or closed for discussion.
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-26
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Strategies for Communicating Positively
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Face-to-Face Interactions
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Have helpful resources available for families seeking
information (names, addresses, and phone numbers
of other agencies, families and professionals.
Seek advice and support from administrators or
other professionals at your school.
Be flexible and open to unique circumstances that
require immediate attention.
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-27
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Revisiting Chad, Marley, and Chandler
Nelms
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For the Nelms and every professional working with
them to provide an appropriate education to Chad,
the key is open and effective communication.
Professionals must evidence the skills of effective
interpersonal communication to ensure a trustbased partnership with this family.
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-28
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Summary

Chapter 8 sets out the strategies and skills that
must be part of your interpersonal communication
skills.
 Nonverbal communication skills
 Verbal communication skills
 Solving problems collaboratively
 Using cultural competency
 Resolving conflict and misunderstanding
 Strategies for communicating positively
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-29
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Linking Content To Your Life
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Effective communication occurs when
you use positive strategies to learn
about students and their families, share
ideas and information with them and
strengthen your partnerships with
individual families.
Examine the ways you can link this
content to your life by reflecting on the
questions asked on page 182.
Develop an action plan
Families, Professionals, & Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes
Through Partnerships & Trust, 6e
Turnbull / Turnbull / Erwin / Soodak / Shogren
ISBN: 0137070578
8-30
© 2011, 2006, 2001 Pearson Education, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.