Universal Design for Learning With Preschoolers Who Are Deafblind: Promoting Communication and Language Development

PURPOSE: Preschoolers who are deafblind are a low-incidence and heterogeneous group. Consequently, many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) may not have encountered these children. However, SLPs are essential members of the educational team serving a child who is deafblind. Collaboration is necessary to address the child's unique strengths, type and degree of visual impairment and hearing loss, accompanying disabilities, and learning needs. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) provides a flexible approach to enhance collaboration that promotes the child's access to and development of social interaction, communication, and language. CONCLUSION: This article (a) identifies relevant current research on the effectiveness of UDL, (b) explores UDL principles as a vehicle for facilitating the SLP's collaboration with the child's family and other educational team members, and (c) outlines how UDL principles support the SLP's role with preschoolers who are deafblind.