Therapeutic multidisciplinary team approaches in addressing learners' executive functioning needs in Cape Town special schools

Abstract

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