Collaborating for Change:
Starting and Sustaining
System Supports
Barbara Hanft, MA, OTR/L FAOTA
Jayne Shepherd, MS, OTR/L, FAOTA
VOTA School System Symposium
March 5, 2016
Objectives
• Define collaboration partnerships and roles for
OT in schools.
• Select strategies for promoting opportunities
for collaborative system supports;
• Identify how to engage team members at
various stages of a change process;
• Apply the elements in change models to initiate
and sustain system supports.
Collaboration in schools…
…. interactive team process that focuses
student, family, education, and related
services partners on enhancing the
academic achievement and functional
performance of all students in education
lessons and school activities.
Hanft & Shepherd, Collaborating for Student Success (2nd ed)
Partnership Continuum…
Cooperation
Coordination
Collaboration
Partnership Continuum… Cooperation
Cooperation
Coordination
Collaboration
Interaction: Informal as needed
Leadership: Unilateral
Resources: Separate
Planning: No joint effort
Goals: Separate
Partnership Continuum… Coordination
Cooperation
Coordination
Collaboration
Interaction: Communication
channels for info
Leadership: Some shared
Resources: Available for specific
projects
Planning: Task/project specific
Goals: Reviewed for
compatibility
Partnership Continuum… Collaboration
Cooperation
Coordination
Collaboration
Interaction: Division of labor
Leadership: Dispersed and shared
Resources: Pooled and shared
Planning: Comprehensive
Goals: Common
goals/mission with
joint accountability
Consider your
school team(s)….
Where do they function on the
partnership continuum?
Collaboration includes…..
Coaching
Co-teaching
Collaborative consultation
Collaborative interaction
Collaborative teaming
Integrated therapy
Transdisciplinary teams
Collaboration is NOT …
• Equating conversation with collaboration and
caring with teaming
• Getting together at a meeting; talking with one
another
• Any type of discussion about a student, formal
of informal
Characteristics...collaborative partnerships
• Equality and respect
• Shared purpose and commitment
• Collective decision making
• Shared resources and knowledge
• Joint responsibility for outcomes
Shepherd & Hanft, in press
Collaborative Roles for OT
Team Supports
“on behalf of a child”
Hands-on with Team Supports
System Supports
Hands-on with Team Supports…
Promote academic achievement & functional
performance of individuals/groups
Example: HS student with CP
Hands on…
Assess: AT needs
Adapt: Classroom materials
for science/lab
...with team supports
Consult with: gen/sped
teachers to identify test
accommodations & system
for progress monitoring
Team supports on behalf of a child
1. ↑ performance of specific students
– Co-teaching
– Design/adapt classroom spaces & learning centers
– Assess effectiveness of a specific intervention
2. ↑ knowledge/skills re: student skills/team tasks
– Mentor new colleagues re: assessment & IEPs
– Coach team members to implement EBP
– Share research and present intervention
System Supports
Formal/informal initiatives & programs
that address the education needs
of a grade, school building or population of
students within a district, county or state.
System Supports
1. District-wide student assessment/instruction
– Response to intervention team (RtI)
– Specialized programs
• Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports (PBIS)
• Transition to work; Assistive Technology
– Special populations
• ASD; low-incidence disability
System Supports…
2. School policies, procedures and initiatives
– Task forces/committees
• (curriculum, UDL, assessment accommodations)
– Implement district wide programs
• (bullying, PBS)
– Develop guidelines for state/local OT
services
System Supports….
3. Education/professional development
– PD for educators and related services
• EBP for OT for Autism Spectrum Disorder
– OT mentoring program
– Presentations and liaisons to PTA, community
groups, health agencies
System Supports in Action
Every Moment Counts
(Susan Bazyk PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA)
http://www.everymomentcounts.org/
Consider: How OT’s use knowledge/skills
Discuss: Identify collaborative characteristics
Key Elements:
Initiating System Supports
Educate stakeholders and solicit support (Rogers, 2000)
• What to say, and when, to education partners i.e.,
families, administrators, education personnel
Direct the rider*
• Big picture and vision
Motivate the elephant*
• Manage change & build knowledge/skills
Shape the path*
• Identify resources, challenges and action steps
*Heath & Heath, 2011
Direct the
Rider
(Rational)
Follow Bright Spots:
What's working?
Script Critical Moves:
Big picture
Point to Destination:
Vision
Motivate
the Elephant
(Emotional)
Find the Feeling:
Motivation
Shrink the Change: Manage change
Grow your People:
Knowledge Identity
Shape
the Path
(Situation)
Tweak the Environment
Analyze trends
Build Habits: Action steps
Rally Herd: Assess
progress
Switch (Heath & Heath, 2011)
Heath, C., & Heath, D. (2011). Switch: How to change things when change is hard.
New York: Broadway Books.
Video Review for Switch from Callibrain. https://youtu.be/qmmwWxVzSsw
Consider How to Solicit Support(Rogers, 2000)
1. Relative Advantage: “Show me the benefits.”
2. Complexity: “Give it to me real simple.”
3. Compatibility: “Help me see how it relates to
what I know and believe.”
4. Observability: “I want a look-see.”
5. Trialability: “How about a test drive first?”
Case study: Shifting to an integrated
model of OT services and supports
Issue: Related services provided via pull-out model due to:
1) Limited knowledge of school staff re: integrated therapy;
2) Belief of staff/parents that pull-out is most effective;
3) Lack of time to devote to changing practice.
Conway, in Hanft, Swinth & Shepherd, in press
Direct the Rider
Point to the destination: Shift therapy
services and supports to an integrated model.
Script critical moves:
1. Buy-in from admin for 2 hr. orientation with OT consultant:
– IDEA mandate
– evidence supporting integrated services &
benefits (Relative advantage)
– discuss what’s working (Follow bright
spots)
Direct the Rider con’t
Script critical moves:
2. Conduct time study analysis of OT/PT
Results:
Pull-out: 75%
Integrated: 25%
Motivate the Elephant
Find the feeling:
Talk with therapists and teachers to motivate them
to help develop a plan (Complexity)
Shrink the change:
Find supportive partners to pilot “mini trials” of
integrated services (Trialability)
Motivate the Elephant con’t
Grow your people: Initiate a CoP with all stakeholders:
– Principals
– Gen ed/sped teachers and paraprofessionals
– School psychology or guidance counselors
– Parents, parent mentor
– OT, PT, & SLP (Bazyk et al, 2015)
Key concern addressed: Integrated therapy
perceived as inferior to pull out (Compatibility)
Shape the Path (9/12-6/13)
Build habits: Goal: 25% → 40% integrated OT/PT
Staff/parent preference for pullout overcome with-
Admin support = planning time
Collaborate 1st w/ receptive teachers = new skills
Embed services/supports in RtI model = OT/PT
welcomed in classrooms, art, music, PE
Shape the Path (9/12- 6/13)
Rally the herd: Assess factors → success
Shared leadership + collaborative partnerships among
stakeholders
Therapists ability to reflect on practice & consider change
Administrative buy in and support from beginning
CoP fosters collective learning and new practice
Build on existing relationships with receptive education
team members
Date Pull-out
therapy
Integrated OT/PT (gen
ed, resource room, other)
2/2012 75.5% 24.5%
6/2013 40.0% 60.2%
6/2014 29.7% 70.3%
Conway, in Hanft & Shepherd, in press
Rally the Herd: Survey results
Collaborative Partners…
Implementing partners
Promoting partners
Guiding
partners
Carry out the action steps identified
by a planning group
Supervise, administer regulations, set
standards and control resources.
Offer info, support, and positive
public relations
Back to future….
Revisit: Where does your team(s) fall on the
partnership continuum…
1.What collaborative elements would enhance OT
system supports to promote student learning?
2.Whose support is crucial in making a system
change?
References
Bazyk, S. Every Moment Counts. Ohio Department of
Education, Office of Exceptional Children.
www.everymomentcounts.org
Bazyk et al. (2015). Building capacity of occupational
therapy practitioners to address the mental health needs of
children and youth: Mixed methods study of knowledge
translation. AJOT, 69 (6), 1-12.
Hall, G., & Hord, S. (2006). Implementing change:
Patterns, principles, and potholes (2nd ed.). Boston:
Pearson Education.
Hanft, B. & Shepherd, J. (in press). Collaborating for
student success (2nd ed). Bethesda, MD: AOTA.
Hanft, Swinth & Shepherd. (in press). Initiating &
sustaining system supports (Ch 8). In Hanft & Shepherd,
Collaborating for student success (2nd ed). Bethesda, MD:
AOTA.
Heath, C., & Heath, D. (2011). Switch: How to change
things when change is hard. New York: Broadway Books.
Mattesich, P. (2012). Cooperation, coordination and
collaboration table.
https://www.conservationgateway.org/Files/Pages/cooperati
on-coordination-.aspx#sthash.J9gTMRFz.dpuf
Rogers, E. (2000). Diffusion of innovation (5th ed.). NY:
Free Press.