Collaborative Teaming

by Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
​Updated July 13, 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.

Role Enrichment Through Collaborative Teaming

Engaging with interdisciplinary teams supports professional growth and improves student-centered instruction. Benefits include:
  • Developing a shared language: Gain an understanding of the terminology, methods, and perspectives of other professionals.
  • Providing and receiving student-specific insights: Share details about a student’s visual needs while learning important information others have observed.
  • Expanding knowledge across disciplines: Learn strategies from professionals in other fields to strengthen your instructional approach.
  • Improving instructional alignment: Use team members' input to better individualize your teaching and support access across all environments.

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.
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“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”