Transdisciplinary collaboration has been acclaimed as the best collaborative practice that can address the issues of coordinated service delivery among different professionals. However, supporting literature is limited. Thus, the main question is asked, “What training program anchored on transdisciplinary practice for teachers handling children with intellectual disability (CwID) may be proposed?” The conceptual framework was based on Context, Input, Process and Output (CIPP) model of evaluation. A convergent parallel mixed method design was used in the study. Total population, purposive and convenience type of sampling were utilized in which the respondents were eight (8) school principals and 66 special education teachers in Divisions of Imus City and Dasmarinas City, Cavite. The results revealed that transdisciplinary practice elements were “sometimes evident;” and the challenge elements were “challenging to a minimal extent” in the current practice of teachers. Also, teachers performed fair transdisciplinary collaboration considering both elements. SWOT analysis through focus group discussion also revealed that lack of collaboration between professionals was one of the highlighted weaknesses in the current practice of teachers. To address these challenges, TRANSCENDS, which means to rise above and stands for TRANSdisciplinary Collaboration towards Effective Nature of Delivery of Services, was proposed for teachers handling CwID.
Keywords: Transdisciplinary, collaboration, children with intellectual disability, SWOT analysis, training programAubin, T., & Mortenson, P. (2015). Experiences of early transdisciplinary teams in pediatric community rehabilitation. Infants & Young Children,28(2), 165-181. http://doi:10.1097/iyc.0000000000000033
Boyer, V. E., & Thompson, S. D. (2014). Transdisciplinary model and early intervention: Building collaborative relationships. Young Exceptional Children, 17(3), 19–32. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096250613493446
Clancy, M., & Gardner, J. (2017). Using digital portfolios to develop non-traditional domains in special education settings. International Journal of ePortfolio, 7(1), 93-100.
Edwards, C. M., Newell, J. M., Rich, D. W., & Hitchcock, L. I. (2015). Teaching interprofessional practice: an exploratory course assignment in social work and speech language pathology. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 35(5), 529-543.
Evans, S. (2017). The social worker as transdisciplinary professional: A reflective account. Australian Social Work, 70(4), 500-507.
Fitzgerald, N., Ryan, P., & Fitzgerald, A. (2015). Team-based approaches in early intervention services for children with disabilities: Irish parents’ experiences. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities,12(3),199-209.
Fitzmaurice, E., & Richmond PhD, J. E. (2017). An Investigation of service providers’ understanding, perspectives and implementations of the transdisciplinary model in early intervention settings for children with disabilities. Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice, 15(2), 5.
Hernandez, S.J. (2013). Collaboration in special education: Its history, evolution, and critical factors necessary for successful implementation. Online Submission, 3(6), 480-498.
Hong, S. B., & Reynolds-Keefer, L. (2013). Transdisciplinary Team Building: Strategies in Creating Early Childhood Educator and Health Care Teams. International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education,5(8645). http://doi:10.20489/intjecse.107925
Hong, S. B., & Shaffer, L. S. (2014). Inter-professional collaboration: Early childhood educators and medical therapist working within a collaboration. Journal of Education and Training Studies,3(1). http://doi:10.11114/jets.v3i1.623
IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004). https://aaidd.org/intellectual-disability/definition
Jesus, L. D. (2018). Drop-in to special education centers in Bulacan. African Educational Research Journal, 6(4), 250–261. http://doi: 10.30918/aerj.64.18.090
Minard, C. (2017). The underutilization of occupational therapy in transdisciplinary early intervention services. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 11(1), 15–20. http://doi: 10.1080/19411243.2017.1408441
Mmbwanga, D. M., Matemba, C. K., & Bota, K. N. (2015). Assessment of institutional and personnel-related challenges facing educational programme for the mentally challenged persons at Kaimosi Special School, Kenya. Journal of Education and Practice, 6(13), 13-20.
Pentek, B., Sadoff, K., and Tang, E. (2018). Collaborative practices in special education: An exploratory study [Master’s thesis, Dominican University of California]. Capstone Projects. 286. https://scholar.dominican.edu/masters-theses/286
Reynolds, C. R., Vannest, K. J., & Fletcher-Janzen, E. (2014). Encyclopedia of special education. a reference for the education of children, adolescents, and adults with disabilities and other exceptional individuals: A-C(4th ed., Vol. 4, Q-Z). John Wiley and Sons.
Richards, S.B., Frank, C.L., Sableski, M.K., & Arnold, J.M. (2016). Collaboration among professionals, students, families, and communities: Effective teaming for student learning (1st ed.). Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Şenay İlik, Ş., & Sarı, H. (2017). The training program for individualized education programs (IEPs): Its effect on how inclusive education teachers perceive their competencies in devising IEPs. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 17(5), 1547–1572. https://doi.org/10.12738/estp.2017.5.0424
Stufflebeam, D. L., & Zhang, G. (2017). The CIPP evaluation model: How to evaluate for improvement and accountability (1st ed.). New York: Guilford Publications.
Szabo, J., & Panikkar, R. K. (2017). Bridging the gap between physical therapy and orientation and mobility in schools: Using a collaborative team approach for students with visual impairments. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 111(6), 495-510. http://doi:10.1177/0145482x1711100602
Wintle, J., Krupa, T., Cramm, H., & Deluca, C. (2017). A scoping review of the tensions in OT–teacher collaborations. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 10(4), 327–345. http://doi: 10.1080/19411243.2017.1359134