Collaborating for Gifted Students With Complex Educational Needs

ABSTRACT This grounded theory study investigated collaboration methods among actors working with gifted students with complex educational needs and their parents. Through interviews with students, parents, educational professionals, and care providers, both successful and unsuccessful collaboration strategies were examined. Subsequently, a model was proposed to enhance effective collaboration for this unique, but heterogenous group of students. This model describes overarching collaboration conditions that preferably should be discussed beforehand with actors involved to establish a functional collaborative culture. Furthermore, this model describes specific tasks for all actors involved that could be applied accordingly to enhance collaboration practices. Lastly, a case coordinator should be assigned that ensures continuity, stability, and a constant flow of information. By following this model, educational professionals, care providers, parents, and policy makers may find ways to enhance their collaboration practices to support these students more adequately in their development.