This book is intended to provide special educators or teachers-in-training with realistic tools for effective collaborative working relationships. The text integrates practical exercises with discussion of relevant research. When used as part of an undergraduate or graduate course, the text offers self-assessment and environmental assessment exercises preliminary to students developing individualized collaboration projects. Chapters have the following titles: (1) "Why Can't We Just Be Friends?"; (2) "History and Background: Making the Case for Collaboration"; (3) "Ingredients for Successful Collaboration: Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Characteristics"; (4) "Evaluating Your Students Honestly: Appraising Your School as a Context for Collaboration"; (5) "Developing an Effective Collaboration Strategy: Half Empty or Half Full?"; (6) "Designing a Plan for Change: Starting with You"; (7) "What Now? What Works and What Doesn't When Collaborating"; (8) "Evaluating the Success of Your Plan: How Can You Tell?"; (9) "Self-Encouragement: Keeping Yourself Going"; (10) "Summing Up the Outcomes: What Have You Accomplished?"; (11) "Generalizing Your Plan to Others: Improved Collaboration with Parents and Family Members of Your Students"; and (12) "Generalizing Your Plan to Others: Improved Collaboration with Members of Your Multidisciplinary Team." (Contains approximately 300 references.) (DB)