My 10+ years supporting diverse learners across educational and clinical settings has shown me that interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for student success. Starting as a theater education intern in NYC schools in 2010, I saw that students faced barriers outside school that impacted them at school, but adults lacked resources to help effectively. I observed this same pattern throughout my career as a mentor, volunteer teacher, graduate researcher interviewing teachers and service providers, and as a social worker and special education teacher. The common thread: providers felt burnt out and isolated by the lack of cross-disciplinary understanding and effectiveness.

My experience as both a special education teacher and therapist has given me unique insight into how interdisciplinary understanding enables better communication, collaboration, and targeted support. In a climate of reduced resources for education and social services providers, cross-functional models decrease provider isolation while delivering more comprehensive student advocacy. By building bridges and breaking down operational silos, we can create more effective, sustainable support systems for students and providers.