Collaborative Teaming

by Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
​Updated November 22, 2025
Working collaboratively with educational teams allows you to not only model effective strategies for supporting students with visual impairments but also to learn from the expertise of others. Whether you're based in one school or serving multiple schools as an itinerant teacher, participating in diverse teams can enrich your instructional practices and enhance outcomes for your students. As you work with various professionals, you may discover successful strategies and adaptations that can be applied to other students in similar programs. Collaboration fosters a shared sense of purpose and provides a platform for problem-solving, co-planning, and continuous learning.

Benefits of Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Engaging with interdisciplinary teams not only enhances professional growth but also leads to more effective, student-centered instruction. Collaboration allows educators and specialists to combine their expertise for stronger, more unified support. Key benefits include:
  • Developing a shared language. Working with professionals from different fields helps you understand their terminology, assessment methods, and perspectives. This shared language strengthens communication and ensures everyone is aligned in supporting the student.
  • Providing and receiving student-specific insights. You can share observations related to the student’s visual needs and access challenges, while also learning about important behaviors, strengths, or concerns other team members have noticed.
  • Expanding knowledge across disciplines. Collaboration exposes you to new strategies, tools, and intervention techniques from related fields—such as occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, orientation and mobility, or counseling—which can enhance your instructional approach.
  • Improving instructional alignment. Input from team members helps you individualize instruction, design more meaningful accommodations, and ensure the student experiences consistent, accessible support across all school environments and routines.
Interdisciplinary teamwork enriches your practice and leads to more coordinated, effective educational outcomes for students with visual impairments.

Collaborating with Specialists

​Physical Therapists (PTs)
Collaboration with PTs can support students’ physical positioning, movement, and visual access:
  • Identify the most comfortable and visually optimal positioning for learning and attending.
  • Understand the various postures a student uses throughout the day and ensure that learning activities are accessible in each position.
  • Learn techniques to help students maintain or tolerate positions during PT or classroom activities.
  • Collaborate to design activities suited for each position and location, increasing engagement and access.
  • Strategize how to alternate physical and visual demands across the day to support stamina and participation.
Occupational Therapists (OTs)
Working with OTs enhances your ability to support sensory, self-help, and fine motor development:
  • Coordinate strategies to meet the student’s sensory processing needs during academic and functional activities.
  • Plan supports for mealtime independence or participation, including adapted materials or routines.
  • Collaborate on activities of daily living (ADLs), such as dressing, grooming, or toileting, to foster independence.
  • Partner to adapt fine motor tasks, using specialized materials or tools that align with the student's visual and tactile preferences.
Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs)
SLPs play a crucial role in supporting communication and language development, often requiring visual and tactile adaptations:
  • Develop or adapt communication boards that are visually accessible, using appropriate size, contrast, and symbols.
  • Create calendar boxes or tactile schedule systems to support routine understanding and transitions.
  • Adapt choice boards to meet both communication and vision needs.
  • Collaborate on partner-assisted scanning strategies for students with limited mobility or vision.
  • Customize AAC devices and switches to support efficient and accessible communication.
  • Align communication tools and systems with the student’s visual and cognitive abilities for effective use in class and at home.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

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