Collaborating and Managing Tension Within Multi-Professional Teams Supporting Children With Autism at Risk of Exclusion

Multi-professional collaborative working is central to developing effective solutions that support children with autism who are at risk of exclusion. This article explores and presents the tensions and collaborative processes present within multi-professional collaborative working.

The study took a two-phased approach to understand the contextual and professional issues affecting multi-professional collaborative working. Four professional groups participated: educational psychologists (EPs), special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCos), communication and interaction team workers (CIT) and speech and language therapists (SALT). Phase one used within-profession focus groups to explore the contemporary, contextual and professional issues that affect the identity and application of one’s professional role. Phase two used cross-professional discussion groups to document the collaborative practices that navigate professional roles and contextual tensions.

The findings identified key issues that affect professional identity, role and practice. The study also unveiled how professionals manage tensions and professional roles to maximise their capacity in developing an intervention to support children with autism who are at risk of exclusion.