Collaboration: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Educating Students With Disabilities

This practical resource for teachers, professionals, and parents addresses collaboration, effective communication, and how to work with families. Information also is included on the many different professionals involved in the education of students with disabilities, such as occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, school psychologists, intervention specialists, and more. Each chapter is written by actual professionals in that area and addresses roles and responsibilities of the authors' job, how they communicate with teachers and parents, and the direct services they provide to students and teachers. With a focus on how everyone must work together to meet student needs, this is an essential text for special education professionals.

Cynthia G. Simpson, Ph.D., has more than 16 years of experience in the public and private sector as a preschool teacher, special education teacher, elementary teacher, educational diagnostician, associate professor of education, and administrator. She maintains an active role in the lives of children and young adults with exceptionalities as an educational consultant in the areas of assessment, inclusive practices, and transition planning. She currently is an associate professor and program coordinator for special education in the College of Education at Sam Houston State University.

Jeffrey P. Bakken, Ph.D., is professor and chair of the Department of Special Education at Illinois State University. He has a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, and graduate degrees in the area of special education-learning disabilities from Purdue University. Dr. Bakken is a teacher, consultant, and scholar. His specific areas of interest include transition, teacher effectiveness, assessment, learning strategies, and technology.