Establishing a transdisciplinary research team in academia.

The establishment of a transdisciplinary research team, the Applied Developmental Neuroscience group, which initially included a physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech-language pathologist, and developmental pediatrician, is focused on linking theory and practice for intervention with children with disabilities.

Abstract

The establishment of a transdisciplinary research team, the Applied Developmental Neuroscience group, is described. The group, which initially included a physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech-language pathologist, and developmental pediatrician, is focused on linking theory and practice for intervention with children with disabilities. The group encountered challenges related to personal attributes such as trust, communication, time, and commitment; the task of finding a common theoretical perspective; and the autonomous academic environment. The strategies used to address these challenges and the benefits of a transdisciplinary model, such as cross-fertilization of theoretical perspectives and more powerful application and testing of theoretical frameworks in a research context, are described.