The sparse research and deficient documentation regarding the collaborative multidisciplinary team approach in special schools in South Africa have necessitated the undertaking of this study. This study explored the multidisciplinary team approaches in three different special schools accommodating foundation phase learners' executive function needs. This study employed the interpretivism research paradigm, a qualitative research approach, and a multiple case study design. Non-probability purposive sampling was employed to select the participants, professionals constituting the three multidisciplinary teams, and the three special schools serving as research fields. Data was collected through questionnaires, participant observations, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions, supplemented by the reflective journal of the researcher. Thematic content analysis was applied to analyse the data to identify emergent themes related to the participants' lived experiences. The findings reveal that the focus of support and therapy is on the functioning of learners and their needs to succeed in the classroom rather than on a diagnosis. The occupational therapists and speech-language therapists in the multidisciplinary teams collaborate with the foundation phase teachers to incorporate curriculum content with therapeutic goals. This approach enables learners to transfer the knowledge and skills taught in therapy, enabling them to apply it in different contexts. Executive functioning deficits are not exclusive to learners in special schools. This study can contribute to informing ordinary mainstream schools about interventions to address executive functioning needs in foundation phase learners. Further research is required to investigate multidisciplinary team collaboration in other settings, such as private therapists delivering a service in mainstream schools. It is recommended that the approach of the multidisciplinary teams described in this study serve as a guideline for other special schools and private practitioners whose focus is still on deficiencies and individual therapy to work in collaboration and to follow an integrative approach rather than a parallel clinical approach.
Die navorsingskaarste en gebrek aan dokumentasie wat betref die wederkerige,
multidissiplinêre spanbenadering in spesiale skole in Suid-Afrika was die rede vir die
behoefte vir hierdie studie. Die studie het die multidissiplinêre spanbenadering in drie
spesiale skole ondersoek om grondslagfase-leerders se uitvoerende
funksioneringsbehoeftes te akkommodeer. Die interpretivistiese
navorsingsparadigma, ’n kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering en ’n veelvuldige
gevallestudieontwerp is aangeneem. Doelgerigte
niewaarskynlikheidsteekproefneming is gebruik om die deelnemers te kies, naamlik
beroepsmense wat die drie multidissiplinêre spanne uitgemaak het, en die drie
spesiale skole wat as navorsingsvelde gedien het. Data is ingesamel deur vraelyste,
deelnemerwaarnemings, semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en
fokusgroepbesprekings, en dit is aangevul deur die reflektiewe joernaal van die
navorser. Tematiese inhoudsontleding is uitgevoer om die data te ontleed om
voortspruitende temas te identifiseer wat verband hou met die deelnemers se geleefde
ervarings. Die bevindings toon dat die fokus van ondersteuning en terapie op die
funksionering van leerders en wat hulle benodig om in die klaskamer suksesvol te
wees, moet wees eerder as op ’n diagnose. Die arbeidsterapeute en spraak-taalterapeute
in die multidissiplinêre spanne werk saam met die grondslagfaseonderwysers
om kurrikulum-inhoud met terapeutiese doelwitte te kombineer. Hierdie
benadering stel leerders in staat om die kennis en vaardighede wat in terapie geleer
word oor te dra in verskeie kontekste, en dit daar toe te pas. Uitvoerende
funksioneringstekorte is nie beperk tot leerders in spesiale skole nie; hierdie studie het
dus die potensiaal om by te dra om hoofstroomskole in te lig oor intervensies wat gerig
is op die uitvoerende funksioneringsbehoeftes van grondslagfase-leerders. Verdere
navorsing is nodig om multidissiplinêre spansamewerking in ander omgewings te
ondersoek, soos die lewering van dienste deur privaat terapeute in hoofstroom-skole.
Daar word aanbeveel dat die multidissiplinêre spanboubenadering wat in hierdie
studie beskryf is as riglyn moet dien vir ander spesiale skole en privaat praktisyns
waar die fokus steeds op gebrekke en individuele terapie is, om hulle aan te moedig
om saam te werk en ’n integrerende benadering te volg eerder as ’n parallel kliniese
benadering.
Ukunqongophala kophando kunye nokushokoxeka kogcino lwamaxwebhu malunga
nendlela yeqela lentsebenziswano elivela kwiinkalo ngeenkalo kwizikolo ezineemfuno
ezikhethekileyo eMzantsi Afrika kuphakamise imfuneko yolu phando, oluphonononge
iindlela zeqela elivela kwiinkalo ngeenkalo kwizikolo ezintathu ezineemfuno
ezikhethekileyo ezamkela iimfuno zokusebenza kobuchule bengqondo zabafundi
besigaba esisisiseko. Kusetyenziswe indlela yophando yokufumana ubunzulu
obungakumbi ngokukhangela amava neengcamango zomxholo othile wezentlalo,
indlela yophandontyilazwi, kunye noyilo lwesifundo ngomzekelo esiphindaphindiweyo.
Abathathinxaxheba bakhethwe ngokusebenzisa ukhetho lwegcuntswana ledatha
ngenjongo yokukhethwa ngokwethuba elilinganayo lokubandakanywa, oko kukuthi
iingcali eziphuma kula maqela mathathu avela kwiinkalo ngeenkalo, kunye nezikolo
ezintathu ezineemfuno ezikhethekileyo ezisebenze njengeendawo zophando. Idatha
iqokelelwe ngokusebenzisa amaxwebhu emibuzo, ukuqwalaselwa
kwabathathinxaxheba, udliwanondlebe olucwangciswe mayane kunye neengxoxo
zeqela ekugqxilwe kulo, yaze yongezelelwa yijenali yeenkumbulo zomphandi.
Kwenziwe uhlalutyontyilazwi lomongo ekuhlalutyeni idatha ukwenzela kuchongwe
imixholo evelayo enxulumene namava okuphila abathathinxaxheba. Iziphumo
zibonisa ukuba ingqwalasela yenkxaso kunye nonyango kufuneka ibe kukusebenza
kwabafundi kunye noko bakufunayo ukuze baphumelele kwigumbi lokufundela,
kunokuba bafumane ukuxilongwa. Iingcali zonyango ngokwasemsebenzini kunye
neengcali zonyango lonxibelelwano kumaqela eenkalo ngeenkalo zisebenzisana
nootitshala besigaba esisisiseko ukudibanisa umxholo wekharityhulam kunye
neenjongo zonyango. Le ndlela yenza ukuba abafundi bakwazi ukudlulisela ulwazi
nezakhono ezifundiswa kunyango kwiimeko ezahlukileyo, baze bazisebenzise kuzo.
Iintsilelo zokusebenza kobuchule bengqondo aziphelelanga kubafundi bezikolo
ezineemfuno ezikhethekileyo; olu phando ke ngoko lunganako ukuba negalelo
ekwaziseni izikolo eziqhelekileyo malunga nokungenelela okujoliswe kwiimfuno
zokusebenza kobuchule bengqondo zabafundi besigaba esisisiseko. Luyafuneka
uphando olungaphezulu ukuphanda intsebenziswano yeqela elivela kwiinkalo
ngeenkalo kwezinye iimeko, ezifana nokunikezwa kweenkonzo ngoogqirha bonyango
lwabucala kwizikolo eziqhelekileyo. Kucetyiswa ukuba indlela yeqela elivela kwiinkalo
ngeenkalo echazwe kolu phando kufuneka isebenze njengesikhokelo kwezinye izikolo
