Published in Foro de Educación (2025), the research analyzes the experiences of collaborative work between early childhood teachers and speech therapists in schools that implement Chile’s School Integration Program (PIE). Through interviews with 12 professionals, the study found that interprofessional collaboration is still at an early stage, constrained by factors such as lack of time, administrative overload, and limited training in teamwork.

The research team, composed of Katherine Dinamarca, Javiera Vargas Leiva, Carol Henríquez Durán, Loreto Figueroa Orellana, Damaris Silva Ramírez, and Ignacio Figueroa-Céspedes, used a qualitative and interpretive approach to understand the meanings that professionals attribute to their daily practices.

The results show that collaboration between teachers and speech therapists varies depending on institutional conditions and school leadership. Although symbolic hierarchies between disciplines and weak institutional coordination persist, participants expressed a strong appreciation for joint work and its potential to enrich pedagogical strategies and improve support for children with special educational needs (SEN).

The study concludes that strengthening educational inclusion in Chile requires ensuring formal time for joint planning, specific training in interprofessional collaboration, and school leadership that fosters mutual recognition among disciplines. These measures would help advance toward an educational practice that is more equitable, transformative, and responsive to diversity


Read more about the study here!