Collaborative Efforts in the Preparation of Physical Therapists and Teachers of Students With Severe Handicaps (Interdisciplinary)

Abstract

Both legislation and professional literature have promoted a team approach to the habilitation of persons with severe handicaps. It has been postulated that obstacles to team service delivery might be reduced by preparing professionals for teamwork during their preservice training. In this series of studies, the practice of interdisciplinary collaboration to prepare students for roles as team members was investigated. Questionnaires were completed by faculty of preservice Physical Therapy and Special Education/Severe Handicaps programs at 29 universities to determine the extent of collaborative efforts. Questionnaire responses revealed that such collaboration was unusual. Three universities that offered the more prominent examples of collaboration were studied further using a qualitative methodology, and the results of those studies are reported. The scope and extent of collaboration at these universities also was limited. The one characteristic that seemed essential to programs that did collaborate was that the collaborating faculty valued the contributions of other disciplines and they had a personal commitment to interdisciplinary teamwork. Incentives for interdisciplinary collaboration in universities are discussed, and recommendations regarding practice and research are made.