Abstract
Ideally, collaborative practice requires an extensive approach with full management backing, across an entire organization at ethos, policy and planning levels. In reality collaborative practice can, and often does, happen where like-minded speech and language therapists (SLTs) and teachers work together in mainstream or special schools or within centrally held teams in pairs or small teams.
Hatcher outlines the metamorphosis of Parayhouse School (PHS), an independent special educational needs (SEN) school in London for 5- to 16-year-olds with a range of communication and learning difficulties. The way teachers and SLTs work was transformed to become recognized by both OFSTED and ‘Investors in People’ as a centre of learning for all and staff’s collaborative practice commended.
The main aim of Hatcher’s ‘handbook’ is to share the school’s experiences of their long and eventful journey towards collaborative practice. Hatcher aims to equip individual practitioners with evidence-based rationale, detailed, replicable strategies, lesson plans and resources that can be replicated in any setting, with any number of willing colleagues to plan, introduce and develop a successful collaborative practice model.
The handbook is organized into three parts, which structured around the authors’ three main aims. Part 1, ‘Collaborative theory practice’, provides the reader with a good overview of the current and relevant research and literature and – although it may date quickly – will be useful background information. There is an excellent discussion around the challenges in mainstream vs. special vs. resourced unit provision for children with communication and language difficulties. Furthermore, this section also presents a good appreciation of the challenges faced within collaborative practice despite the willingness of staff.
Part 2, ‘Putting theory into practice’, is a section that is very relevant for those staff working in special schools; however, many of the suggestions may be difficult to apply within a mainstream or limited unit provision due to staffing, policy, service and professional differences. To put a lot of the recommendations into practice an SLT would need to work full time within the school. Where there is commitment to collaborative practice, however, this book provides a structure to support and develop this further. To quote my co-reviewer: ‘[This book] sounds like it’s describing me and some of my role at school! Nice to have a reference to support the way I work and provide a rationale.’
This section also provides lots of useful examples of collaborative approaches for specific subjects, allowing for a ‘relaxed’ reflection on one’s own practice. The personal perspectives of various people within an educational setting, including a student, make this book interesting reading. Likewise, Chapter 9 in particular is a worthy read as it illustrates how to develop one’s own curriculum that integrates academic and therapeutic targets across a wide range of subjects. This variety of approaches provides a more fluid, reactive curriculum, which equips students for life beyond the classroom walls. Chapter 11 describes how, through joint planning and regular cross-fertilization, therapeutic needs can be embedded within the children’s academic and behavioural targets in the classroom. This enables all areas of need to be addressed by all members of staff, throughout the school day. Wow, what an achievement!
Part 3, ‘Resources’, presents a range of examples of strategies, lesson plans and resources for Key Stages 2, 3 and 4 contained in the downloadable version available on the accompanying CD, which can be copied, adapted and developed for individual use.
The layout makes the whole book easy to dip in and out of due to it having short chapters, being related to everyday life in schools and providing real examples. Each chapter has clearly headed sections and a related ‘tool box’, asking the reader to reflect upon their present practice and offering suggestions to relate their ideas to one’s future work. There are two pages of suggested reading books and papers to address the principles and efficacy of collaborative practices; however, specific references used in Part 1 would have been very useful to follow the threads, especially in light of the need for practitioners to develop their work with evidence-based practice.
As the book provides structured ideas and plans for working with this group of children in a collaborative way – and may lead to more successful outcomes for children at both an academic and functional level – it would certainly be useful for a range of professionals, e.g. head teachers and members of the senior leadership team who wish to develop collaborative working practices within the SEN framework, SLTs and occupational therapists working with/in schools, as well as class-based and specialist advisory teachers in both mainstream and special school settings. Student teachers, SLTs, some teaching assistants and special support assistants in both mainstream and special school settings may also find this a useful resource to dip into. Finally, parents with an interest in education may find this book helpful in providing rationale behind some teaching and therapeutic approaches.
Even though the handbook provides a wealth of ideas and examples used specifically within a special school, many of these may be ‘cherry-picked’ and ‘magpied’ for mainstream schools where there is SLT involvement and the input is valued and recognized. For other mainstream schools whose staff may be wondering or considering how to develop curriculum progression for children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) through integrating the work of SLTs, it establishes a clear pathway to follow.
As present and past members of a rare centrally-held, specialist teacher and SLT team, where collaborative planning between teacher and therapist was given ‘priority status’, we felt it would be a commendable and valuable resource on any SLT clinic or school staff room’s reference shelf. One drawback is that it is quite pricey for an individual to purchase. It really does provide a structured model to help, support and signpost collaborative work, advocating more qualitative information in reports and more functionality for everyone involved with and working with children with communication and learning difficulties, especially for those in special school settings. It may be an obvious question but, whether in a mainstream or a specialist setting, how can one meet the needs of complex SEN without collaborative practice?