Issues in multidisciplinary teamwork for children with disabilities

This paper presents a review of key issues surrounding multidisciplinary work in relation to the care of children with disabilities and their families. The discussion is based on experience of working in a child development team and research visits to teams around Britain at the beginning of the 1990s. An outstanding feature of child disability services is their organizational diversity. The research found that district interagency planning groups were a rarity, as were multiagency management groups for teams. Thus it was rare for teams to have clear lines of external accountability. Similarly leadership and management structures within the teams had a profound influence on their effectiveness. Issues are highlighted for identifying good practice and for further development of services.