Communication is an important tool in collaboration because...

Communication is a key component to collaborative practice because it is a method to release what is in your mind and a way to get personal ideas and strategies shared with others. Communication can be verbal, directly speaking your ideas, writing them down on paper or even non-verbal, the way you conduct your body language and mannerisms. Communications is key for collaboration because it also involves listening. Affective collaboration happens when all people are able to share ideas and also support other ideas that are mentioned, building a solution together.
In special education it is crucial to collaborate with others because I have found that it helps to become a better teacher. For example, I was working on a skipping goal with a student and during the Triennial IEP the OT was mentioning that this student was also struggling with balance on the right side of the body... This brought to my mind why skipping has been so challenging... the student would skip with the left, then walk with the right. I was so fascinated that I first did not notice the balance issue, and then was able to have a strategy to possibly improve this students balance first, then work on the skipping goal. Without that information I would still be struggling, gaining little ground and becoming frustrated with the lack of progress.