Universal Design for Learning: A Shared Language to Create a Culture of Collaboration and Leverage Interprofessional Practice.

Abstract

Purpose: Collaboration between teachers and speech-language pathologists is essential for supporting diverse learners, particularly those with communication challenges. This article explores the use of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as a common language to enhance interprofessional collaboration, fostering a shared framework for designing inclusive educational environments. By implementing UDL principles, teachers and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can align their strategies, emphasizing flexibility in instructional methods, engagement, and assessment. This shared approach enables both professions to address student needs more holistically, bridging traditional professional divides and creating a cohesive support system within the school setting.

Method: The tutorial discusses specific strategies for integrating UDL considerations into collaborative practices, highlighting the skills and knowledge SLPs can bring to the classroom from the therapy room. We include a case example to illustrate how best practices from speech-language pathology and UDL Guidelines can be used together to improve vocabulary learning in high school students.

Results: Language within the UDL framework can serve as a useful tool to highlight both skillsets of teachers and SLPs leading to transdisciplinary collaboration. This tutorial builds on prior research of successful models of Tier 1 teacher-SLP collaboration.

Conclusion: This collaborative project demonstrates a realistic use of UDL as a common framework not only to enhance communication and reduces barriers among team members but also to support effective, accessible learning experiences for all students.