A view of organizations as complex, computational and adaptive systems in which knowledge and learning are embedded in multiple levels is presented. According to this perspective, activity at one level can interfere with or support activity at other levels. As such, organizational adaptation requires finding a balance between these levels. These ideas are illustrated using results from a computational model of organizational performance. Results suggest that organizations can trade knowledge and learning at one level for knowledge and learning at another. As such, for the organization performance becomes a balancing act between levels.

Children with autism situated in lower income families often receive intensive educational interventions as their primary form of treatment, due to financial barriers for community interventions. However, the continuity of care can be disrupted by school transitions. The quality of social relationships during the transition to a new school among parents, school staff and community providers, called the team-around-the-child (TAC), can potentially buffer a child with autism from the adverse effects caused by care disruptions. Qualities of social relationships, including trust and collaborative problem solving, can be measured using social network analysis. This study investigates if two different types of TAC relationships, defined as (1) the level of trust among team members and (2) the degree of collaborative problem solving among team members, are associated with perceived successful transitions for children with autism from lower income families. Findings suggested that TAC trust is significantly associated with the outcome of transition success for children with autism immediately post-transition.