The Effects of a Collaborative Team on Early Intervention in a Preschool

Abstract The purpose of this project was to see what effects collaboration had on early intervention in a preschool. Fourteen guides at a Montessori preschool in Texas were asked to complete a beginning survey, attend weekly collaborative meetings for seven weeks, attend a focus group and complete an ending survey. Data showed that collaboration helped the teachers feel more valued and supported when helping all kinds of different learners. For the purpose of this study, different learners included children with behavioral concerns, learning disabilities and support needs. Interventions ranged from activities or exercises for individual children to lessons given to a group. Future research could be focused on how to bring the parents into the collaborative process for intervention and/or at what point a child should be referred for speech or occupational therapy evaluations. Keywords: collaboration, different learners, intervention, preschoo