Collaboration and Communication with Families and Teams
Expert-defined terms from the Professional Certificate in Fine Motor Skills Interventions course at London School of Business and Administration. Free to read, free to share, paired with a globally recognised certification pathway.
Active listening #
A communication technique that involves fully concentrating, understanding, responding and remembering what is being said.
Asynchronous communication #
Communication that does not occur in real-time, such as email or discussion boards.
Collaboration #
The process of working together to achieve a common goal, often involving the sharing of knowledge, ideas and resources.
Communication #
The act of transmitting information, ideas, thoughts, feelings and attitudes.
Communication styles #
The manner in which individuals communicate, which can include verbal, nonverbal, written, and visual communication.
Conflict resolution #
The process of identifying and addressing disagreements or differences in a constructive manner.
Cultural competence #
The ability to understand, appreciate and interact with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Decision #
making: The process of selecting a course of action from among multiple alternatives.
Diversity #
The variety of differences between people in an organization or community, including but not limited to race, gender, ethnic group, age, personality, cognitive style, tenure, organizational function, education, background, and more.
Empathy #
The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
Family #
centered care: An approach to care that is respectful of and responsive to individual family member's preferences, needs and values and ensuring that their values guide all clinical decisions.
Feedback #
Information about past behavior or performance that is used as a basis for improvement.
Fine motor skills #
The ability to make small, precise movements with the fingers, hands and wrists.
Inclusion #
The practice of ensuring that people feel valued, respected and involved, regardless of their differences.
Interdisciplinary team #
A group of professionals from different disciplines who work together to provide comprehensive care to a patient or client.
Motor planning #
The ability to conceptualize, plan and execute a motor action.
Nonverbal communication #
Communication that does not involve words, such as body language, facial expressions, and gestures.
Parent #
teacher conference: A meeting between a parent and teacher to discuss a child's progress, behavior, and academic performance.
Problem #
solving: The process of identifying and resolving issues or challenges.
Professional development #
The process of improving one's skills, knowledge and expertise in a particular field or occupation.
Relationship #
building: The process of developing and maintaining positive, productive relationships with others.
Respect #
A feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.
Scaffolding #
A teaching technique that involves providing support and structure to help a learner progress to the next level of understanding or skill.
Stakeholders #
Individuals, groups or organizations who have an interest or stake in the outcome of a particular situation or decision.
Synchronous communication #
Communication that occurs in real-time, such as face-to-face conversations or video conferencing.
Team building #
The process of creating and maintaining a high-performing team through the development of trust, communication, and collaboration.
Teamwork #
The cooperative effort by the members of a team to achieve a common goal.
Transdisciplinary team #
A team that works together to provide comprehensive care to a patient or client, with each member contributing their unique expertise to the overall care plan.
Trust #
A firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.
Visual aids #
Tools such as charts, graphs, and images that are used to enhance communication and understanding.
Voice to voice communication #
Communication that occurs through spoken words, such as face-to-face conversations or telephone calls.
Written communication #
Communication that is conveyed through written words, such as emails, letters, and reports.
In the Professional Certificate in Fine Motor Skills Interventions course, colla… #
Effective collaboration and communication require active listening, cultural competence, empathy, respect, trust, and relationship-building. It also involves understanding and utilizing various communication styles and methods, such as verbal, nonverbal, written, visual, voice to voice, synchronous, and asynchronous communication. Additionally, it is important to involve families in the decision-making process through shared decision-making, and to build and maintain positive relationships with all stakeholders. Effective collaboration and communication can help to create a supportive and inclusive environment, where families and teams can work together to achieve common goals and improve fine motor skills outcomes for children.
It's important to note that, as a professional, it's also important to be able t… #
Also, it's important to understand the difference between interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary teams and when to use each one.
In practice, this might look like a team meeting where a occupational therapist,… #
They may use visual aids such as charts and graphs to track the child's progress and to make decisions about interventions. They may also involve the child's family in the decision-making process through shared decision-making and ensure that the child's cultural background is taken into account in the intervention plan. The team may also use scaffolding techniques to help the child progress to the next level of understanding or skill.
However, it's not always easy, there are challenges that may arise such as langu… #
To overcome these challenges, it's important to have conflict resolution skills, to be open-minded and to be able to adapt to different situations.
In summary, collaboration and communication with families and teams are critical… #
Effective collaboration and communication involve active listening, cultural competence, empathy, respect, trust, and relationship-building. It also includes understanding and utilizing various communication styles and methods, involving families in the decision-making process, and building and maintaining positive relationships with all stakeholders. Additionally, it's important to be able to give and receive constructive feedback, to have problem-solving skills, and to be able to build and lead a team. Being aware of the challenges that may arise and having the skills to overcome them is also crucial.