Collaboration in early childhood intervention services

Abstract

Collaboration is a sophisticated activity requiring knowledge, technical competencies, and interpersonal skills. Many professionals lack experience in collaboration and therefore face challenges in forming and sustaining early childhood intervention (ECI) teams. There is a paucity of research on collaboration within ECI teams, especially within healthcare settings in resource-constrained nations marked by linguistic and cultural diversity, such as South Africa. Participants included 34 professionals who completed a survey. The results revealed that professionals possess a good understanding of collaboration and perceive families to be integral members of the team. Professionals emphasized the importance of resources, efficient communication, mutual respect, and the sharing of information. These results are discussed, with the limitations of the study, as well as future recommendations, outlined.